Mft 


C  EN.  R.  E  . 


SOUTHERN  GENERALS, 


WHO  THEY  ARE, 


AND 


WHAT    THEY    HAVE    DONE, 


NEW   YORK: 
CHAELES   B.   RICHARDSON, 

540    BEOADWAY. 
1865. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1865, 
BY  CHARLES  B.  RICHARDSON, 

In    the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of   the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New  York. 


E 


PREFACE. 


IT  would  be  impossible,  within  the  limits  of  a  single 
volume,  to  introduce  an  account  of  all  the  Southern 
officers  who  have  borne  the  rank  of  General ;  and  even  a 
narrative  of  the  career  of  those  justly  conspicuous,  would 
reduce  the  work  to  the  style  of  a  mere  cyclopedia. 

The  author  has,  therefore,  been  compelled  to  make  his 
selections  from  among  those  most  prominent,  giving  more 
extended  notice  of  the  few  towards  whom,  as  the  leading 
champions  of  Southern  Independence,  the  eyes  of  the 
whole  civilized  world  have  been  turned,  since  first  the 
sounds  were  heard,  telling  of  conflict  and  war  in  these 
long-peaceful  States. 

It  has  been  the  author's  endeavor  to  place  before  the 
public  a  truthful  history,  gathered  from  official  documents, 
personal  correspondence,  private  information,  and  the  volu 
minous  and  truly  valuable  records  of  the  newspaper 
press. 


900 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

GENERAL  ROBERT  EDMUND    LEE 9 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   THOMAS  J.   JACKSON 156 

GENERAL  P.  G.  T.  BEAUREGARD 199 

GENERAL  JOSEPH  E.  JOHNSTON 258 

GENERAL  SAMUEL   COOPER 288 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  JAMES  LONGSTREET 295 

GENERAL  BRAXTON   BRAGG 321 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  R.  S.  EWELL 343 

MAJOR-GENERAL    J.  E.  B.  STUART 356 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  A.  P.  HILL 375  * 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  JOHN   B.  HOOD , .    384 

MAJOR-GENERAL  A.  S.  JOHNSTON , 397 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  LEONIDAS   POLK ,  . .    409 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   STERLING  PRICE 422 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  E.  KIRBY  SMITH 437 

MAJOR-GENERAL  JOHN   H.  MORGAN 445 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   WILLIAM  J.  HARDEE 458 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  WADE   HAMPTON 466  • 


SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 


GENERAL  ROBERT  EDMUND  LEE. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

Important  Position  held  by  General  Lee.— A  Sketch  of  his  Life  more  needed  in 
Detail. — His  Ancestors.— Bishop  Meade's  Work  on  Old  Virginia  Families. — Thomas 
Lee. — Richard  Henry  and  Francis  Light-foot  Lee. — General  Harry  Lee. — Thanks  of 
Congress  to  General  Henry  Lee. — His  Children. — Eobert  Edmund  Lee. 

THE  subject  of  this  memoir  bears  so  important  a  part  in  the 
great  political  and  national  strife  now  unfortunately  waging 
in  our  land,  and  his  own  personal  position  in  the  social  and 
military  world  has  been  of  so  high  a  standing,  that  it  seems 
necessary  to  enter  more  fully  into  the  particulars  of  his  life 
than  may  be  deemed  requisite  as  regards  others.  In  common 
with  several  more  well-known,  and  well-tried  soldiers  of  rank, 
he  has  thought  fit  to  take  sides  with  his  native  South  against 
the  North  in  those  sad  disputes  wl  ich  have  led  to  so  much 
fearful  blood  and  slaughter  ;  and  his  past  reputation  in  the 
army  and  on  the  battlefield,  has  placed  him  at  the  head  of  all 
the  forces  arrayed  in  hostile  attitude  against  the  flag  to  which 
he  had  formerly  owned  allegiance.  Thus  he  is,  and  ever  will 
be  known,  as  the  most  prominent  and  important  personage 
connected  with  all  the  military  movements  in  the  South,  while 
boldly  and  persistently  confronting  the  North.  To  his  mil 
itary  skill  and  genius,  to  his  calm  and  clear-thinking  mind,  his 
high  moral  and  social  status,  and  the  family  influence  of  his 
name,  are  undoubtedly  due  much  of  the  strength  of  the  South, 
and  whatever  success  may  have  been  achieved.  There  may 
be,  and  indeed  there  are  some  others  in  the  Confederate  ranks, 
whose  spirit — whose  mind  and  body — also  maintain  and  keep 
infusing  new  life  within  the  sometimes  flickering  elements  of 
opposition  in  the  South,  but  the  name  of  Lee  is  in  itself  of  ad 
ditional  weight  to  what  they  could  bring  forward.  Of  a  Yir- 


10  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

ginian  family,  whose  members  for  more  than  two  hundred 
years  had  been  settled  in  the  State,  and  some  of  whom  had 
handed  down  to  posterity  names  indissolnbly  connected  with 
all  that  was  bright,  and  glorious,  and  god-like  in  the  cause  of 
national  freedom,  besides  being  inseparably  coupled  with  all 
to  be  esteemed  in  the  mind  and  intellectual  qualities  of  man, 
the  present  military  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Southern 
forces  is  one  on  whom  all  eyes  turn,  with  more  than  ordinary 
interest,  and  whose  influence  is,  perhaps,  even  greater  than 
that  of  th<e  President  of  the  Confederate  States  himself.  To 
give,  therefore,  any  thing  like  a  fair  and  impartial  account  of 
his  life  to  the  present  time,  i-s  no  slight  nor  easy  task.  We 
have  to  forget  the  hostile  position  he  has  assumed  towards  the 
national  power;  and,  keeping  clear  of  all  bias  or  feeling,  save 
that  of  a  desire  to  picture  the  truth  wheresoever  it  be  found, 
bear  in  mind  that  we  are  putting  before  the  world  the  history 
of  a  man,  himself  distinguished  from  his  youth  by  his  own 
deeds,  but  distinguished  equally  as  much  by  his  close  relation 
ship  to  two  of  the  signers  of  Independence — Richard  Henry, 
and  Francis  Lightfoot  Lee, — to  the  Ludwells,  Corbins,  and  to 
that  friend  and  eulogist  of  Washington,  his  own  father,  General 
Harry  Lee.  Thus,  in  this  memoir,  we  must  take  up  the  man, 
as  well  as  the  military  chief  in  arms  against  the  Government 
of  the  United  States,  and  we  must  deal  with  the  individual  in 
his  actions,  and,  as  far  as  wre  can  understand  them,  his  motives, 
as  well  as  the  public  events  that  are  connected  with  his  name. 
Nor  must  we  forget  that,  in  judging  of  the  actions  of  our  fel 
low-men — especially  of  those  holding  a  prominent  position  in 
the  public  eye — we  ought  always  to  take  into  consideration 
the  circumstances  by  which  they  are  surrounded,  and  which 
have  often  led  them  onward,  almost  irresistibly.  Conse 
quently,  the  various  links  which  bind  any  man  to  a  course  of 
conduct,  frequently,  to  all  appearance,  inexplicable,  and  some 
times  reprehensible,  should  be  carefully  examined,  when  pla 
cing  him  before  the  future  in  the  position  wherein  he  lias  be 
come  most  prominent  It  is  not  the  passing  hour  that  is  to 
canvass  what  he  does ;  but  it  is  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
another  day  than  this  sad  and  painful  one,  who  will  have  to 
look  at  him  and  speak  of  him  with  a  calmer  and  more  impar 
tial  mind  than  can  possibly  now  exist.  To  lead  to  this,  to  do 


GENERAL  ROBERT  EDMUND    LEE.  11 

what  present  justice  can  be  done  to  the  individual,  as  well  as 
to  the  great  military  chief,  is  the  object  of  the  following  me 
moir  ;  and,  to  begin  this  aright,  we  will  briefly  introduce  some 
account  of  his  family  and  their  ancestors. 

In  the  reign  of  Charles  L,  of  England,  there  lived  in  the 
county  of  Shropshire  a  good  old  family  of  the  name  of  Lee. 
Induced,  probably,  by  the  flaming  reports  connected  with  the 
still  very  young  colony  of  Virginia,  then  not  more  than  a  few 
years  discovered,  a  member  of  this  family,  Richard  Lee,  went 
over  there  in  an  official  appointment  under  the  Governor. 
He  was  "a  man  of  good  stature,  comely  visage,  enterprising 
genius,  a  sound  head,  vigorous  spirit,  and  generous  nature. 
When  he  got  to  Virginia,  which  at  that  time  was  not  much 
cultivated,  he  was  so  pleased  with  the  country  that  he  made 
large  settlements  there  with  the  servants  he  carried  over."* 
Afterwards  he  made  several  voyages  back  to  England,  and  on 
one  occasion,  possibly  considering  his  return  not  certain,  "  he 
gave  all  the  lands  he  had  taken  up  and  settled  at  h*is  expense, 
to  those  servants  he  had  fixed  on  them,  some  of  whose  de 
scendants  are  now  possessed  of  considerable  estates  there." 

Finally,  however,  he  again  visited  the  colony,  bringing  with, 
him  more  followers,  for  whom  a  certain  portion  of  land  was 
granted  him  under  the  title  of  "  Head  Rights."  He  now  set 
tled  definitely  in  that  part  of  Virginia  called  the  "Northern 
Neck,"  and  situated  between  the  Rappahannock  and  Poto 
mac  rivers.  Here,  for  a  long  time,  he  remained,  acting  as 
secretary  to  Sir  Win.  Berkeley,  the  Governor,  during  that  por 
tion  of  English  history  which  beheld  the  master  genius  of  a 
powerful  mind,  in  the  person  of  Cromwell,  triumphing  over 
the  injustice  and  tyranny  of  the  unhappy  Charles,  and  finally, 
when  death  took  away  the  great  Protector,  saw  the  reinstate 
ment  of  monarchy  in  the  form  of  a  dissolute  and  extravagant, 
thoughtless,  young  man.  Lee,  however,  was  faithful  to  his 
trust,  and  the  loyal  sentiments  of  his  early  days.  With  the 
Governor,  he  contrived  to  keep  the  colony  firm  in  its  allegi 
ance,  and  made  it  so  respected  by  opponents  that  a  treaty 
was  ratified  in  England,  under  Cromwell's  hand,  ranking  it  as 
an  independent  State ;  and  on  the  Restoration,  having  on  its 

*  Meade  ;  137,  Life  of  R.  H.  Lee,  p.  5. 


12  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

arms  the  motto,  En  dat  Virginia  quintain,  changed  since  the 
Union  of  England  and  Scotland,  to  En  dat  Virginia  quartam. 

Thus,  even  at  the  very  commencement  of  the  history  of  Vir 
ginia,  we  see  the  name  of  Lee  identified  with  some  of  its  most 
important  affairs,  and,  in  a  measure,  forming  part  and  parcel  of 
the  land. 

Richard  Lee  had  two  sons,  John  and  Richard.  The  first 
was  educated  at  Oxford,  and  was  so  clever  and  learned,  that 
he  could  have  been  promoted  to  high  dignities  in  the  Church, 
had  not  his  father  determined  that  all  his  children  should  set 
tle  in  Virginia.  Accordingly,  John  returned  there,  and  died 
before  the  old  man. 

Richard  Lee,  the  father,  died  and  was  buried  in  the  land  of 
his  love  and  adoption,  leaving  behind  him  a  numerous  progeny, 
and  thus,  afterwards,  endearing  the  soil  to  every  member  of 
the  family  name. 

Richard  Lee,  the  son,  was  even  more  learned,  if  possible, 
than  his  brother  John.  He  "spent  almost  his  whole  life  in 
study,  and  usually  wrote  his  notes  in  Greek,  Hebrew,  or  Latin 
— many  of  which  are  now  in  Virginia.  He  was  of  the  Coun 
cil,  and  also  in  other  offices  of  honor  and  profit.  "  His  wife 
was  a  Miss  Corbin,  of  England,  and  by  her  he  had  five  sons 
and  one  daughter.  His  death  occurred  in  Virginia,  about 
the  year  1690.* 

Of  the  children  of  this  Richard  Lee,  the  daughter  married  a 
Mr.  William  Fitzhugh,  of  Eagle's  Nest,  King  George  county, 
Virginia, — son  of  the  first  William  Fitzhugh  ;  and  from  this 
union,  a  son — William  Fitzhugh,  of  Chatham — was  born.  Of  the 
sons  of  the  second  Richard  Lee,  his  eldest  born,  also  a  Richard, 
went  to  England  as  a  Virginia  merchant,  in  partnership  with 
his  maternal  Uncle,  Thomas  Corbin.  After  a  time  he  married 
a  rich  heiress,  Miss  Silk,  and  by  her  had  one  son,  George,  and 
two  daughters,  who,  on  their  father's  death,  went  to  Virginia 
and  married  and  intermarried,  respectively,  into  the  families 
of  Womley,  Fairfax,  Corbin,  and  Turberville.  The  next  son, 
Philip,  went  into  Maryland,  where  his  descendants  are  numer 
ously  and  honorably  found  to  the  present  day.  The  third 
son  died  a  bachelor.  The  fourth  was  a  Thomas,  who  married 

*•  Meade,  p.  138. 


GENERAL    ROBERT   EDMUND    LEE.  13 

a  Miss  Hannah  Ludwell,  of  whose  family  a  word  must  be 
said. 

The  Ludwells,  according  to  Bishop  Meade,*  were  an  old  and 
honorable  family,  allied  by  marriage  to  the  famous  Lord  Francis 
Cottington,  mentioned  in  Clarendon's  History  of  the  Rebellion. 
Two  brothers,  John  and  Philip,  held  high  office  here  in  the 
time  of  Charles  II.,  the  first  in  the  Virginia  Council,  the 
second  as  Governor  of  Carolina,  until,  joining  his  brother,  he 
married  the  widow  of  Sir  William  Berkeley,  by  whom  he  had 
a  daughter  (afterwards  united  to  Colonel  Parke,  Governor  of 
the  Leeward  Islands  in  the  West  Indies),  and  one  son,  Philip. 
The  Ludwells  had  now  acquired  a  considerable  estate  in  Vir 
ginia,  and  this  son,  Philip,  married  a  Miss  Harrison,  who  bore 
him  two  daughters  and  a  boy.  One  of  the  daughters  married 
a  Colonel  Grymes  of  Virginia  :  the  other,  Thomas  Lee.  As 
for  the  son,  he  ultimately  married  into  the  Grymes  family, 
and  went  to  England  for  his  health,  where  he  died  without 
male  issue,  thereby  leaving  the  name  extinct.  Three  daugh 
ters  were,  however,  born  to  him,  and  these  were  considered 
heiresses  of  some  wealth. 

We  now  return  to  Thomas  Lee,  who,  by  his  marriage,  had 
allied  to  his  family  name  that  of  the  Ludwells  and  the 
Grymes. 

Thomas  Lee  was  a  man  of  great  parts  and  industry.  He 
speedily  learned  the  languages,  without  any  assistance  but  his 
own  genius,  and  became  a  tolerable  adept  in  Greek  and  Latin ; 
but,  being  a  younger  brother,  with  many  children  and  a 
small  paternal  estate,  he  felt  the  necessity  of  perseverance  to 
acquire  that  fortune  which  would  properly  establish  them  in 
life.  This  he  attained  to  some  considerable  extent,  and,  more 
over,  was  appointed  to  the  Council,  of  which  he  became  presi 
dent, — holding  the  position  for  many  years,  until  his  death. f 
He  was  one  of  the  first  of  the  leading  men  of  the  colony  who 
turned  their  attention  to  our  western  wilds,  and  he  employed 
an  engineer  of  note  to  explore  them,  especially  about  the  Ohio 
river.  .  But  he  had  the  keen  foresight  to  tell  of  the  future 
disseverance  of  the  American  colonies  from  England,  and  even 
while  President  of  the  Council,  said  to  a  friend  that  such  must 

*  Meade,  p.  138.  f  Memoirs  R.  H.  Lee,  p  6. 


SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

inevitably  be  the  case,  and  that  "the  seat  of  government 
would  be  located  near  the  Little  Falls  of  the  Potomac  river," 
where  he  afterwards  took  up  large  tracts  of  land,  which  until 
lately  were  in  possession  of  his  descendants.  His  principal 
homestead,  however,  was  at  Stratford,  where  he  had  built  a 
mansion,  still  standing  in  1860,  and  considered  "one  of  the 
most  remarkable  buildings  in  this  country."4*  It  appears  that 
his  original  dwelling  had  been  burned  by  a  serious  fire,  and, 
so  great  was  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held,  that  Govern 
ment  and  merchants  alike,  and  it  is  said  even  Queen  Caroline, 
contributed  towards  the  erection  of  another  suitable  mansion 
for  him.  Mr.  Lossing,  in  his  valuable  "Field  Book  of  the 
Revolution, "  says:  "There  is  no  structure  in  our  country  to 
compare  with  it.  The  walls  of  the  first  story  are  two  and  a 
half  feet  thick,  and  of  the  second  story  two  feet,  composed  of 
brick  imported  from  England.  It  originally  contained  about 
100  rooms.  Besides  the  main  building,  there  are  four  offices, 
one  at  each  corner,  containing  fifteen  rooms.  The  stables  are 
capable  of  accommodating  100  horses.  Its  cost  was  about 
$80,000." 

Thomas  Lee  died  in  the  year  1750,  leaving  six  sons  and  two 
daughters,  all  well  provided  for  in  point  of  fortune.  Of  these 
children  but  a  hasty  notice  can  here  be  given,  though  they 
belong  to  a  day  when  men  and  women  were  the  sires  and 
mothers  of  a  people  thenceforth  a  great  nation  in  themselves. 
But  we  have  no  need  to  say  much.  Their  names  dwell  in  the 
history  of  their  country's  independence,  and  to  that  we  refer 
for  those  details  our  space  and  our  purpose  here  forbid  us  to 
give. 

Philip  Ludwell  Lee,  the  eldest  born,  succeeded  his  father, 
Thomas,  at  Stratford.  He  married  a  Miss  Steptoe,  and  had 
two  daughters,  Matilda,  who  married  her  second  cousin,  the 
famous  General  Henry  Lee  of  the  Revolution  (father  of  the 
subject  of  our  present  memoir),  and  Flora,  who  married  her 
first  cousin,  Mr.  Ludwell  Lee,  son  of  Richard  Henry. 

The  second  son  of  Mr.  Thomas  Lee  was  Thomas  Ludwell 
Lee,  and  he  married  a  Miss  Aylett. 

The  third  son  was  the  Richard  Henry  just  mentioned,  who 

*  Lossing,  ii.,  217. 


GENERAL.    KOBEKT    EDMUND    LEE.  15 

^  born  on  the  21st  January,  1732,  and  died  on  the  19th 
June,  1794.  Educated,  as  was  then  customary,  in  England, 
it  would  have  been  supposed  that  his  sentiments  were  any 
thing  but  favorable  to  Republican  ideas;  but  when,  after 
various  appointments,  and  after  frequently  uttering  strong 
opinions  as  to  the  necessity  for  a  severance  from  the  mother 
country,  he  became  a  member  of  the  first  Continental  Congress, 
his  was  the  first  voice  to  move  a  resolution  on  the  7th  June, 
177fi,  "That  these  united  colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to 
be,  free  and  independent  States  ;  that  they  are  absolved  from 
all  allegiance  to  the  British  Crown,  and  that  all  political  con 
nection  between  them  and  the  State  of  Great  Britain  is,  and 
ought  to  be,  totally  dissolved." 

When  this  resolution  was  made  public  a  son  of  his  was  at 
school  in  England,  and  one  day  a  gentleman,  standing  by, 
asked  his  tutor,  "  What  boy  is  this?"  The  professor  replied, 
"He  is  the  son  of  Richard  Henry  Lee.  of  America."  The 
gentleman  put  his  hand  upon  the  boy's  head,  and  said,  "  We 
shall  yet  see  your  father's  head  upon  Tower  Hill."  Hie  boy, 
however,  promptly  answered,  ''You  may  have  it  when  you 
can  get  it,"  That  boy  was  the  late  Ludwell  Lee,  Esq  ,  of 
Virginia/" 

Richard  Henry  Lee  was  married,  first  to  Miss  Aylett,  by 
whom  he  had  four  children,  Thomas,  Ludwell,  Mary,  and  Han 
nah  ;  and  secondly,  to  a  Miss  Pinkard,  who  bore  him  three 
daughters,  Harriet,  Sally,  and  Anne.  These  children  married 
into  the  families  of  Alexander,  Washington,  Turbeville,  Hain't, 
and  their  cousins,  the  Lee's. 

The  fourth  son  of  Thomas  Lee  was  Francis  Lightfoot  Lee, 
born  October  14th,  1734;  died,  April,  1797.  Like  his  brother, 
he  was  one  of  the  signers  of  Independence,  and  his  name  also 
lives  to  posterity  as  a  true  patriot  and  good  man.  He  married 
a  Miss  Rebecca  Tayloe,  daughter  of  Colonel  John  Tayloe,  of 
Richmond  county. 

The  fifth  son  was  William,  who  settled  in  London,  and 
became  Sheriff  and  Alderman  there,  though  effectively  serving 
the  American  cause  until  war  was  declared,  but  ever  after 
wards  remaining  true  to  it  in  private. 

*  Lossing's  Americans;  p.  187. 


16  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

The  sixtli  son  was  Arthur  Lee,  who,  u  as  a  scholar,  a  writer, 
a  philosopher,  a  politician  and  diplomatist,  was  unsurpassed 
by  none,  and  equalled  by  few  of  his  contemporaries.  The  ser 
vices  rendered  by  him  to  his  country  as  her  minister,  at  foreign 
courts,  were  most  valuable."* 

In  the  preceding  brief  extract  of  family  history  we  have 
omitted  to  the  last,  mention  of  one  branch,  viz.,  Henry  Lee, 
brother  of  Thomas,  and  fifth  son  of  the  second  Richard  Lee. 
This  Henry  Lee  married  a  Miss  Bland,  and  had  several 
children,  amongst  whom  was  also  a  Henry  (the  third  son), 
who  was  united  to  a  Miss  Grymes.  From  this  marriage  came 
five  sons  and  three  daughters.  The  eldest  was  called  Henry, 
born  January  29th,  1756,  whose  military  career  during  the 
Revolution,  and  whose  patriotism,  as  well  as  his  personal 
friendship  for  Washington,  are  too  well  known  to  need  dwelling 
upon  here.  The  following  synopsis  of  his  history,  however, 
as  given  by  Mr.  Lossing,  may  be  interesting. 

Henry  Lee  was  first  educated  by  a  private  tutor,  under  his 
father's  roof,  and  then  sent  to  Princeton  College,  where,  under 
the  guidance  of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  he  completed  his  studies, 
and  graduated  in  177L  Two  years  afterwards,  Patrick  Henry 
nominated  him  to  the  command  of  a  cavalry  company,  raised 
in  his  native  State,  for  Continental  service,  under  the  general 
command  of  Colonel  Bland.  In  1777,  Lee's  corps  was  placed 
under  Washington's  immediate  control,  and  soon  acquired  a 
high  character  for  discipline  and  bravery.  Lee  was  speedily 
promoted,  and,  with  his  legion,  performed  many  daring  ex 
ploits.  In  July,  1779,  he  captured  a  British  fort  at  Paulus 
Hook,  for  which  Congress  gave  him  thanks  and  a  gold  medal. 
In  November,  1780,  Lee  was  promoted  to  Lieutenant-colonel, 
and  early  in  1781  joined  the  army  under  Greene  in  the  Caro- 
linas.  Here  he  performed  efficient  service  for  several  months, 
the  services  of  his  legion  being  of  vast  importance,  and  himself 
ever  in  the  front  of  success,  as  well  as  of  danger. 

About  the  beginning  of  the  year  1782  Lee  returned  to  Vir 
ginia  from  the  battle  of  Eutaw  Springs,  and  married  Matilda, 
daughter  of  Philip  Ludwell  Lee,  of  Stratford.  He  resided 
there  with  his  father-in-law,  and,  in  1786,  was  elected  to  a  seat 

*  Meade,  p.  140. 


GENERAL   EGBERT   EDMUND    LEE.  17 

in  Congress.  In  1791  he  was  made  Governor  of  Virginia, 
and  in  1794  was  appointed  by  Washington  to  command  the 
troops  sent  to  quell  what  was  called  the  Whiskey  Insurrection, 
in  Western  Pennsylvania.  In  1799  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Federal  Congress,  and  was  chosen  by  that  body  to  pronounce 
a  funeral  oration  on  the  death  of  Washington,  in  the  House 
of  Representatives.  At  the  time,  Lee  was  temporarily  absent, 
and  the  oration  was  delivered  by  his  friend,  Judge  Marshall. 
But  in  it  were  the  well-remembered  words,  referring  to  Wash 
ington,  u  He  was  first  in  war,  first  in  peace,  and  first  in  the 
hearts  of  his  countrymen."  In  1801  he  retired  to  private  life, 
but  was  subject  to  great  annoyance  from  embarrassed  circum 
stances. 

Ills  first  wife  having  died,  he  again  married,  and  this  time 
to  Anne,  daughter  of  Charles  Carter,  of  Shirley,  by  whom  he 
had,  in  1806,  Robert  Edward  Lee,  the  subject  of  the  present 
memoir,  who  was  born  at  the  family  seat  of  Stratford,  in  the 
same  chamber  where  Richard  Henry  and  Francis  Lightfoot 
Lee  first  saw  the  light. 

In  1809  General  Harry  Lee  wrote  his  Memoirs  of  the  War 
in  the  Southern  Department,  and  in  1814  he  was  severely 
wounded  in  an  attempt  to  quell  a  disturbance  at  Baltimore. 
From  this  he  never  recovered.  In  1817  he  went  to  the  West 
Indies  for  his  health,  but  found  no  sensible  relief.  On  his 
return,  the  following  spring,  he  stopped  to  visit  Mrs.  Shaw,  a 
daughter  of  General  Greene,  on  the  coast  of  Georgia,  and  there 
he  expired  on  the  25th  of  March,  1818,  at  the  age  of  62  years. 

The  character  of  General  Henry  Lee,  and  indeed  that  of 
other  members  of  his  family  name,  not  excepting  the  two 
signers  of  Independence,  has  been  blackened  by  the  venom  of 
calumny ;  but  time,  through  a  close  analysis  of  contempora 
neous  facts,  ever  establishes  something  of  truth,  and  thus 
clears  the  fame  of  really  great  men.  Such  is  the  case  with 
regard  to  the  Lee  family,  and  the  impartial  testimony  of 
candid  men  gives  to  them  a  high  meed  of  praise  for  their 
unswerving  patriotism  and  fidelity  to  their  native  land.  This 
is  necessary  to  be  understood  ;  and,  also,  that  in  any  comments 
upon  the  name  of  Lee,  General  Charles  Lee,  of  the  Revolu 
tionary  army,  be  not  brought  in  with  those  of  whom  we  here 
speak.  He  was,  wholly  and  absolutely,  another  person,  and 


18  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

of  another  family,  therefore  his  actions — good  and  bad — must 
not  be  confounded  with  those  of  the  Lees  of  Virginia.  Of 
them,  Bishop  Meade  says  :  "  I  have  been  intimately  acquainted 
with  some  most  excellent  specimens  of  true  piety  among 
them — too  many  to  be  specified  and  dwelt  upon.  If  tradition, 
and  history,  and  published  documents,  are  to  be  relied  on, 
the  patriotic,  laborious,  self-sacrificing,  and  eloquent  Richard 
Henry  Lee  of  the  Revolution  must  have  deeply  sympathized 
with  Washington  and  Peyton,  Randolph  and  Pendleton,  and 
Nicholas  and  Henry,  in  their  religious  character  and  senti 
ments.  .  .  .  When  the  question  about  paying  debts  in 
depreciated  currency  came  on,  Mr.  Lee  evinced  his  high  and 
honorable  sense  of  morality  in  the  earnest  and  eloquent  op 
position  made  to  it.  He  declared  that  nothing  so  deeply 
distressed  him  as  a  proposition  which  he  regarded  as  a  viola 
tion  of  honesty  and  good  faith  among  men,  and  said  that  it 
W'ould  have  been  better  to  have  remained  the  honest  slaves  of 
Britain  than  dishonest  freemen  !" 

"  Of  the  descendants  of  so  great  and  good  a  man,"  continues 
the  bishop,  "I  cannot  refrain  from  adding,  that  many  of  them 
are  characterized  by  exemplary  piety,  and  that  he  has  left  a 
numerous  posterity  of  children,  grand-children  and  great- 
grand-children,  who  walk  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  while  they 
still  belong  to,  and  love  the  Church  of  their  ancestors." 

But,  confining  ourselves  to  the  immediate  parentage  of  the 
present  General  Lee,  we  find  also  abundant  testimony  in  favor 
of  excellence  and  worth  inherent  amongst  them.  The  gold 
medal  presented  by  Congress  with  a  vote  of  thanks  to  "Legion 
Harry,  "  had,  on  one  side,  a  bust  of  the  hero  with  the  words 
HENRICO  LEE;  LEGIONIS  EQTJIT  :  PR.EFECTO  COMITIA  AMERI 
CANA,  and  on  the  reverse,  as  translated,  "  Notwithstanding 
rivers  and  intrenchments,  he  with  a  small  band  conquered  the 
foe,  by  warlike  skill  and  prowess,  and  firmly  bound  by  his  hu 
manity  those  who  had  been  conquered  by  his  arms.  In 
memory  of  the  conflict  at  Paulus  Hook,  19th  of  August, 
1779.  " 

Again,  we  read  elsewhere,  that  General  Greene  in  writing  of 
him,  said  :  "  He  had  been  under  obligations  to  Lee  which  he 

*  Lossing,  ii.,  623. 


GENERAL    KOBEKT  EDMUND    LEE.  19 

could  never  cancel,  "  and,  as  to  his  military  services,  he  added 
in  a  letter  to  Lee,  "  I  believe  that  few  officers  either  in  Europe 
or  America  are  held  in  so  high  a  position  of  admiration  as  you 
are.  Everybody  knows  I  have  the  highest  opinion  of  you  as 
an  officer,  and  you  know  I  love  you  as  a  friend.  ~No  man  in 
the  progress  of  the  campaign  had  equal  merit  with  yourself."* 

The  "  love  and  thanks,  "  expressed  in  a  letter  to  Lee,  from 
Washington,  in  1789,  exhibit  the  affection  which  his  qualities 
had  inspired  in  the  bosom  of  his  chief,  and  in  Virginia  he  is 
still  known  by  the  name  of  "  Legion  Harry.  "  His  remains 
reposed  near  those  of  his  warm  friend,  General  Greene.  "  His 
relentless  creditors  could  rob  him  of  his  personal  liberty,  but 
could  not  chain  his  noble  mind,  nor  rob  him  of  a  well-earned 
fame  to  the  glorious  title  of  an  HONEST  MAN." 

General  Lee,  by  his  first  wife,  had  a  son,  Henry,  and  a 
daughter,  Lucy.  The  son  (the  late  Major  Henry  Lee)  wrote 
and  published  a  work  called  "The  Campaign  of  1781,"  etc., 
vindicating  his  father  from  certain  attacks  made  upon  him. 
By  his  second  wife,  he  had  the  following  children  :  Charles 
Carter  Lee,  Robert  Edmund  Leefi  Smith  Lee,  Ann,  and 
Mildred. 


*  Judson's  Sages  and  Heroes  of  Amer.  Rev. 

f  THE  PEDIGREE  OF  THE  LEE  FAMILY. — The  Virginia  Chronicle  publishes 
the  pedigree  of  the  family  of  General  Lee.  It  is  from  an  old  manuscript  which 
has  been  shown  to  the  editor.  The  Chronicle  says : 

"This  venerable  manuscript,  which  bears  the  date  1750,  was  received  by 
Mr.  Mead  (who  is  a  gentleman  of  intelligence  and  character)  from  his  mother, 
Mrs.  Mead  (widow  of  the  Rev.  Zachariah  Mead,  formerly  of  Richmond).  Mrs. 
Mead  received  it  from  her  father,  who  received  it  from  his  father,  General  Hull. 
It  consists  of  several  large  sheets,  and  is  written  partly  in  Latin  and  partly  in 
English.  Accompanying  the  pedigree  are  some  mutilated  deeds,  which, 
although  much  injured,  exhibit  the  descending  rights  and  titles  to  several 
lands.  These  deeds  are  in  Latin,  and  written  on  the  old  stamped  paper  of 
England,  and,  to  the  antiquarian,  are  a  rare  object  of  curiosity  and  interest. 

"  The  genealogy  of  the  Lees  of  Virginia,  from  1666,— just  where  this  pedigree 
breaks  off, — is  well  known,  and  may  be  found  in  Bishop  Meade's  well-known 
work  on  the  Old  Churches  and  Families  of  Virginia. 

"  The  manuscript  commences  abruptly  with  the  name  of  Hugo  de  Lega,  or 
de  Le,  without  date.  The  first  name  with  date  is  that  of  Johes  de  Lee,  Miles, 
to  whom  Hugo  de  Hinton  gave  the  land,  as  by  the  old  chart.  Opposite  this 
name  is  the  date  1333.  The  father  of  Johes  de  Lee  was  Thomas  de  la  Lee. 
The  simple  name  of  Lee  occurs  first  as  Ricardus  Lee  of  Langly,  about  the  year 
1500.  The  first  name  of  Robert  is  Robertus  de  la  Lee,  son  of  Johes  de  la  Lee ; 
he  married  Margarita,  daughter  and  heir  of  Thomas  Astly  of  Nordly,  about 


20  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

In  October,  1860,  a  petition  was  signed  by  the  cavalry  and 
infantry  companies,  and  other  military  officers  encamped  near 
Richmond,  to  be  presented  to  the  next  Legislature,  "for  the 
removal  to  Virginia  of  the  remains  of  General  Harry  Lee, 
from  his  burial-place  in  Georgia,  upon  the  lands  once  owned 
by  his  companion  in  arms,  General  Greene."  The  locality 
of  the  encampment  has  since  been  called  Camp  Lee,  "  after 
the  illustrious  hero,  Harry  Lee." 

1400.     The  first  name  written  in  English  is  Thomas  Lee  of  Cotton,  in  King's 
Nordley,  in  the  Parish  of  Alvely,  who  was  the  son  of  Johannes  Lee. 

"  There  are  several  coats  of  arms  on  the  manuscript.  That  of  Eicardus  Lee, 
of  the  direct  line,  is  as  follows :  A  shield  with  a  crescent  of  a  squirrel  sejant, 
eating  a  nut  or  flower ;  a  lion  rampant  gardant  in  sinister  chief ;  a  star  in 
precise  middle  chief;  dexter  chief,  a  blood-red  field  with  embattled  bars  of  blue 
and  yellow.  The  dexter  base,  a  black  cross  on  white  field,  with  a  lion's  head, 
crowned,  in  one  corner.  The  middle  precise  base  is  a  chevron  of  white,  on  a 
red  field,  a  white  bar,  the  fesse  point  on  a  green  field.  The  sinister  base  the 
same  as  the  dexter  chief. 

"  The  Lancelot  arms  are  a  shield  with  crescent  squirrel — dexter  chief,  red 
field,  with  blue  and  yellow  embattled  bars.  Sinister  chief,  a  star  on  blue  field. 
Dexter  base  same  as  sinister  chief,  and  sinister  base  same  as  dexter  chief. 
There  are  no  middle  divisions  on  this  shield.  The  prevailing  white  indicates 
royalty ;  the  star,  grandeur ;  the  lion,  courage  ;  the  red,  war  ;  the  cross,  reli 
gion,  and,  with  the  crowned  lion,  denotes  the  Church  of  England. 

"  The  pedigree  was  extracted  from  the  London  Tower,  and  is  certified  by 
Charles  Townley,  York,  and  John  Pomfret,  Rouge  Croix,  August  1st,  1750. 
###•?:-# 

"Henry  Lee,  the  son  of  the  first  wife,  was  a  major  in  the  war  of  1812,  and 
wrote  the  Strictures  on  the  Writings  of  Jefferson,  also  a  Life  of  Napoleon 
Bonaparte.  Sidney  Smith  Lee  was  a  commodore  in  the  old  United  States  Navy, 
and  is  now  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Orders  and  Detail,  Navy  Department,  in 
Richmond.  He  commanded  at  Drury's  Bluff  for  a  long  time.  Robert  Edmund 
Lee  is  at  Petersburg — the  General  Lee  of  this  day. 

"  He  married  Miss  Custis  of  Arlington,  in  Alexandria  County,  the  daughter 
and  heiress  of  George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  the  adopted  son  of  General 
Washington,  who  married  Mrs.  Custis,  his  mother. 

"  General  Lee  has  three  sons — Brigadier-general  G.  W.  Custis  Lee,  aid-de 
camp  to  the  President  (he  passed  No.  1  at  West  Point) ;  Major  General  W.  H. 
F.  Lee,  commanding  a  division  of  cavalry  in  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia, 
and  Robert  Edmund  Lee,  who  entered  the  army  at  the  instance  of  his  father 
as  a  private  in  the  Rockbridge  artillery.  He  is  now  on  the  staff  of  General 
Fitzhugh  Lee.  Besides  these  children,  General  Lee  had  four  daughters, — 
Mary,  Anne,  Agnes,  and  Mildred, — all  of  them  unmarried,  and  one  of  whom 
(Anne)  has  died  during  the  war.  General  W.  H.  F.  Lee  married  a  Miss  Wick 
man,  who  died  a  year  or  two  since. 

"  General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  of  the  cavalry,  is  the  son  of  Commodore  Lee." 


CHAPTER  II. 

Ancestry  not  to  be  lightly  esteemed. — The  parents  of  great  men  entitled  to  praise 
for  the  early  promptings  of  youth. — They  are  not  to  be  forgotten  in  the  fame  of  the 
son. — Youth  of  Robert  E.  Lee. — Enters  West  Point  as  a  Cadet. — Graduates,  and  is 
appointed  a  Lieutenant  of  Engineers.— Marries  into  the  Custis  family. — Made  Cap 
tain,  and  appointed  member  of  Board  of  Visitors  to  Military  Academy. — Attached 
to  Army  of  Mexico. — General  Scott's  high  opinion  of  him. — Extracts  from  Scott's 
Autobiography. — Captain  Lee's  services  in  Mexico. — His  companions  in  arms. — 
Wounded  at  Chapultepec. — Promoted  for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct. — Ap 
pointed  Superintendent  at  West  Point. — Made  Lieutenant-colonel  of  Cavalry. — 
Employed  in  the  Border  wars  against  the  Indians. — Keturns  to  Washington. — Sent 
by  Government  to  quell  the  John  Brown  Eaid. — Successfully  accomplishes  this,  and 
returns  to  Washington. 

IF,  in  writing  an  account  of  a  son's  career,  we  would  be 
wholly  just,  and  can  at  all  give  space  to  do  so,  let  us  not 
forget  the  sire  that  gave  him  good  example,  and,  above  all, 
the  mother  that  is  too  oft  neglected  when  speaking  of  the 
early  promptings  of  youth.  It  is  to  that  father,  and  to  that 
soft  maternal  care — so  truly  and  justly  prized  by  all  good  men, 
howsoever  great  they  may  be — that  virtuous  deeds  and  noble 
acts  take  root,  afterwards  spreading  abroad  in  rich  and 
glorious-looking  fruit.  So,  too,  with  the  ancestry  of  a  man, 
if  that  ancestry  has  been  of  public  note.  Few  there  are  of 
mind  and  education,  in  this  world,  who  would  willingly  dis 
grace  their  sires, — nay,  who  would  not  rather  do  increased 
honor  to  them  by  their  own  worthy  acts.  And  so  it  has  been 
with  the  family  of  the  Virginia  Lees.  Truth,  honor,  unselfish 
patriotism,  love  to  God  and  love  to  man,  seem  to  have  been 
mainly  the  characteristic  traits  belonging  to  them. 

The  youth  of  Robert  Lee  was  passed  amid  exciting  times. 
For  more  than  twenty  years  prior  to  his  birth,  America  had 
been  at  peace  as  an  independent  nation  ;  but  about  this  time, 
symptoms  of  a  new  struggle  with  England  were  manifested, 
in  addition  to  hostile  attempts  by  the  Indians  on  the  western 
frontier.  This  latter,  however,  was  soon  quelled,  but  the 


22  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

former  resulted  in  a  declaration  of  war  with  Great  Britain  on 
the  18th  of  June,  1812.  What  followed  is  well  known  to 
every  youth  in  the  present  day.  A  British  fleet,  under 
Admiral  Cockburn,  entered  the  Chesapeake,  and  laid  wTaste 
such  towns  and  districts  upon  the  coast  as  were  found  assaila 
ble.  Some  of  the  ships  ascended  the  Potomac,  and,  on  the 
29th  of  August,  1814,  reached  Alexandria,  while  the  military 
forces  of  England,  under  General  Ross,  wrere  at  work  on  the 
Patuxent,  the  Patapsco,  and  finally  against  Washington,  and 
Fort  McHenry,  Baltimore.  In  the  South,  Pensacola  was  in 
possession  of  the  British  until  driven  from  there  by  General 
Jackson,  who,  a  few  months  afterwards,  completely  routed 
them  again  at  the  celebrated  battle  of  New  Orleans.  Peace, 
however,  was  now  declared,  the  treaty  having  been  signed  on 
the  24th  December,  1814 ;  and,  a  few  months  afterwards, 
Algiers  was  made  to  sue  for  peace,  after  a  severe  chastisement 
at  the  hands  of  Commodore  Decatur,  for  having  seized  Ameri 
can  vessels,  and  enslaving  their  crews.  In  1817  Monroe 
succeeded  Madison  as  President ;  and  in  the  same  year,  the 
Seminole  war  broke  out  at  the  South,  General  Jackson  being 
sent  to  quell  the  Indians  then  overrunning  the  country. 

It  was  at  this  time  the  father  of  Robert  Lee  went  to  the 
West  Indies,  and  died  on  his  return  ;  the  youth  being  then 
twelve  years  old. 

In  1820,  Florida  was  ceded  by  Spain  to  the  United  States  ; 
and  in  1824,  the  visit  of  Lafayette  to  America,  producing  a 
general  burst  of  enthusiasm  throughout  the  land,  could  not 
fail  to  have  been  strongly  impressed  upon  young  Lee's  mind. 

He  wras  now  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  in  the  following  year, 
1825,  entered  West  Point  as  a  cadet  from  his  native  State. 
There  he  remained  the  usual  four  years,  perfecting  his  studies, 
and  preparing  for  that  military  career  in  which  he  afterwards 
became  so  conspicuous. 

During  the  whole  of  this  period  Lee  never  once  received  a 
reprimand,  nor  had  any  mark  of  demerit  against  him ;  and 
when,  at  the  expiration  of  his  term,  he  graduated  at  the  head 
of  his  class,  he  was  immediately  selected  for  service  in  the 
corps  of  topographical  engineers,  receiving  his  appointment  as 
brevet  second-lieutenant  in  July,  1829. 

From  this  time,  until  the   year   1835,  he  was  principally 


GENERAL    ROBERT  EDMUND    LEE.  23 

employed  on  the  coast  defences,  but,  at  that  period,  we  find 
him  appointed  assistant  astronomer,  for  the  demarcation  of 
the  boundary  line  between  the  States  of  Ohio  and  Michigan. 

In  1832,  Lieutenant  Lee  married  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Custis, 
and  thus,  through  her,  became  proprietor  of  Arlington  House, 
and  the  White  House  on  the  banks  of  the  Pamunkey,  after 
wards  so  noted  in  the  Peninsular  campaign. 

On  the  21st  September,  1836,  he  was  promoted  to  a  first- 
lieutenancy  ;  and  in  July,  1838,  was  made  captain.  During 
1844  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Visitors  to 
the  Military  Academy,  and  was,  afterwards,  from  September 
8th,  18-io,  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Engineers.  In  1846, 
Captain  Lee  was  attached  to  the  central  army  of  Mexico  as 
Chief-engineer,  under  General  Wool,  and  he  retained  that 
post  throughout  the  whole  campaign,  under  General  Scott. 
When  this  latter  general  landed  in  Mexico,  Captain  Lee  was 
one  of  the  first  selected  to  be  of  his  personal  staff  and  council, 
and  the  high  opinion  Scott  entertained  of  him  is  well  known. 
A  few  extracts,  however,  from  the  general's  own  autobiography, 
lately  published,  may  be  serviceable.  He  says,  of  his  first  coun 
cil  at  Vera  Cruz : 

'•  In  my  little  cabinet,  however,  consisting  of  Colonel  Totten, 
Chief-engineer  ;  Lieutenant-colonel  Hitchcock,  Acting  In 
spector-general  ;  Captain  R.  E.  Lee,  Engineer;  and  (yet) 
First-lieutenant  Henry  L.  Scott,  Acting  Adjutant-general,  I 
entered  fully  into  the  question  of  storming  parties  and  regular 
siege  approaches.  A  death-bed  discussion  could  hardly  have 
been  more  solemn.  Thus  powerfully  impressed,  I  opened  my 
subject,  substantially  as  follows: 

u  We,  of  course,  gentlemen,  must  take  the  city  and  castle 
before  the  return  of  the  vomito — if  not  by  head-work,  the  slow 
scientific  process,  by  storming — and  then  escape  by  pushing 
the  conquest  into  the  healthy  interior.  I  am  strongly  inclined 
to  attempt  the  former,  unless  you  can  convince  me  that  the 
other  is  preferable.  Since  our  thorough  reconnoissances,  I 
think  the  suggestion  practicable,  with  a  very  moderate  loss  on 
our  part.  The  second  method  would,  no  doubt,  be  equally  suc 
cessful,  but  at  the  cost  of  an  immense  slaughter  on  both  sides, 
including  non-combatants — Mexican  men,  women,  and  chil 
dren — because  the  assault  must  be  made  in  the  dark,  and  the 


24  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

assailants  dare  not  lose  time  in  taking  and  guarding  prisoners 
without  incurring  the  certainty  of  becoming  captives  them 
selves,  until  all  the  strongholds  of  the  place  are  occupied."* 

Yera  Cruz  and  the  Castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa  surrendered, 
and  Scott  marched  forward  to  Mexico  on  the  12th  of  April. 
The  enemy  made  a  stand  at  Cerro  Gordo,  and  here,  again,  the 
commander-in-chief  thus  speaks  of  Lee.  He  says : 

"  Hearing  that  Twiggs,  supported  by  Patterson,  found  him 
self  confronted  at  Plan  del  Rio,  some  fifty  miles  in  the  interior, 
by  a  strong  body  of  the  enemy,  and  that  both  divisions  were 
desirous  of  my  presence,  I  left  Yera  Cruz  on  the  12th  of  April, 
with  a  small  escort  of  cavalry,  under  Captain  Philip  Kearney 
(who  fell  in  1862,  a  distinguished  major-general),  and  hastened 
to  the  front.  Major-general  Patterson,  though  quite  sick,  had 
assumed  the  command  on  joining  Twiggs,  in  order  to  prohibit 
any  aggressive  movement  before  my  arrival,  according  to  the 
universal  wish  of  the  troops.  ~No  commander  was  ever  re 
ceived  with  heartier  cheers, — the  certain  presage  of  the  victo 
ries  that  followed. 

"  The  two  advanced  divisions  lay  in  the  valley  of  the  Plan, 
del  Rio,  and  the  body  of  the  enemy  about  three  miles  off,  on 
the  heights  of  Cerro  Gordo.  Reconnoissances  were  pushed  in 
search  of  some  practicable  route,  other  than  the  winding, 
zigzag  road  among  the  spurs  of  mountains,  with  heavy  batter 
ies  at  every  town.  The  reconnoissances  were  conducted  with 
vigor  under  Captain  Lee,  at  the  head  of  a  body  of  pioneers ; 
and,  at  the  end  of  the  third  day,  a  passable  way  for  light  bat 
teries  wras  accomplished — without  alarming  the  enemy — giving 
the  possibility  of  turning  the  extreme  left  of  his  line  of  defence, 
and  capturing  his  whole  army,  except  the  reserve,  that  lay  a 
mile  or  two  higher  up  the  road.  Santa  Anna  said  that  he 
had  not  believed  a  goat  could  have  approached  him  in  that 
direction.  Hence  the  surprise  and  the  results  were  the 
greater,  "f 

In  alluding  to  this  reconnoissance  made  by  Lee,  the  brave 
old  general,  in  his  official  report,  thus  again  speaks : 

"  The  reconnoissance  begun  by  Lieutenant  Beauregard  was 
continued  by  Captain  Lee,  Engineers,  and  a  road  made  along 

*  Scott,  ii.,  423-4.  \  Ibid.,  ii.,  431. 


GENERAL   EGBERT   EDMUND   LEE.  25 

difficult  slopes,  and  over  chasms,  out  of  the  enemy's  view, 
though  reached  by  his  fire  when  discovered — until  arriving  at 
the  Mexican  lines,  further  reconnoissances  became  impossible 
without  an  action.  The  desired  point  of  the  debouchure,  the 
Jala  pa  road,  was  not,  therefore,  reached,  though  believed  to 
be  within  easy  distance ;  and  to  gain  that  point  it  now  be 
came  necessary  to  carry  the  heights  of  Cerro  Gordo 

Twiggs'  division,  reinforced  by  Shields'  brigade  of  volunteers, 
was  thrown  into  position  on  the  17th,  and  was,  of  necessity, 
drawn  into  action  in  taking  up  ground  for  its  bivouac,  and  the 
opposing  heights  for  a  heavy  battery.  It  will  be  seen  that 
many  of  our  officers  and  men  were  killed  or  wounded  in  this 
sharp  combat — handsomely  commenced  by  a  company  of  the 
Seventh  Infantry,  under  brevet  First-lieutenant  Gardner, 
who  was  highly  praised  by  all  his  commanders  for  signal 
services.  Colonel  Ilarney,  coming  up  with  his  rifle  regiment 
and  First  Artillery,  also  parts  of  his  brigade,  brushed  away  the 
enemy,  and  occupied  the  heights,  on  which,  in  the  night,  was 
placed  a  battery  of  one  24-pounder  and  two  24-pound  howit 
zers,  under  the  superintendence  of  CaptainLee,  Engineers, 
and  Lieutenant  Ilagner,  Ordnance.  These  guns  opened  next 
morning,  and  were  served  with  effect  by  Captain  Steptoe,  and 
Lieutenant  Brown,  Third  Artillery  ;  Lieutenant  Hagner,  Ord 
nance  ;  and  Lieutenant  Seymour,  First  Artillery."* 

The  details  of  the  victory  at  Cerro  Gordo  are  well  known, 
and,  moreover,  need  not  be  mentioned  here.  We  have  only 
to  refer  to  the  part  Captain  Lee  performed  therein  ;  and 
again  we  quote  General  Scott.  After  expressing  his  "in 
debtedness  for  able  assistance"  to  several  gallant  officers,  par 
ticularly  named,  General  Scott  then  says  :  "  I  am  compelled  to 
make  special  mention  of  Captain  R.  E.  Lee,  Engineer.  This 
officer  greatly  distinguished  himself  at  the  siege  of  Yera  Cruz ; 
was  again  indefatigable  during  these  operations  in  reconnois 
sances,  as  daring  as  laborious,  and  of  the  utmost  value.  JSTor 
was  he  less  conspicuous  in  planning  batteries,  and  in  conduct 
ing  columns  to  their  stations,  under  the  heavy  fire  of  the 
enemy." 

The  troops  now  marched   onward  to  Jalapa  and  Puebla, 

Scott,  p.  450. 


26  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

where  we  find  that,  among  other  well-known  names  mentioned 
as  among  the  chief  officers  comprising  the  army,  the  following 
were  in  close  companionship  : 

Engineer  Corps. — Major  J.  L.  Smith,  Chief;  Captain  R.  E. 
Lee,  Lieutenant  P.  G.  T.  Beauregard,  G.  W.  Smith,  George 
B.  McClellan,  J.  G.  Foster. 

Quartermaster's  Department. — Captain  J.  McKinstry. 

Harness  Corps. — Major  Simmer,  Major  McReynolds,  Cap 
tain  Kearney,  and  also  Captain  Magruder  of  the  field  battery. 

These  heroic  brothers  in  arms — then  conjointly  fighting 
against  a  national  foe,  have  now  all  become  prominently 
known  as  battling  in  fierce  strife  against  each  other  in  this 
sad  war,  and  some  of  them  have  given  their  lives  for  the  cause 
in  which  they  served. 

The  battles  of  Contreras,  Cherubusco,  and  Chapultepec  fol 
lowed,  in  all  of  which  Captain  Lee  again  highly  distinguished 
himself.  Indeed,  so  greatly  was  his  meritorious  conduct 
esteemed  by  Scott,  that,  even  at  the  present  time,  in  his  own 
autobiography,  he  is  continually  praising  him.  A  few  pas 
sages  only,  and  to  mark  the  opinion  entertained  of  Lee  by  so 
eminent  a  military  authority,  and  so  high  a  personage  as 
General  Scott,  we  again  quote.  He  says  : 

"The  same  day  (August  18th,  1847)  a  reconnoissance  was 
commenced  to  the  left  of  San  Augustin,  first  over  difficult 
grounds,  and  further  on  over  the  same  field  of  volcanic  matter 
which  extends  to  the  mountain,  some  five  miles  from  San 
Antonio,  towards  Magdalena.  This  reconnoissance  was  con 
tinued  to-day  by  Captain  Lee,  assisted  by  Lieutenants  Beaure 
gard  and  Tower,  all  of  the  engineers,  who  were  joined  in  the 
afternoon  by  Major  Smith,  of  the  same  corps.  Other  divisions 
coming  up,  Pillow  was  advanced  to  make  a  practicable  road 
for  heavy  artillery,  and  Twiggs  thrown  further  in  front  to 
cover  the  operations  ;  for,  by  the  partial  reconnoissance  of 
yesterday,  Captain  Lee  discovered  a  large  corps  of  observation 
in  that  direction,  with  a  detachment  of  which,  his  supports  of 
cavalry  and  foot,  under  Captain  Kearney  and  Lieutenant- 
colonel  Graham,  respectively,  had  a  successful  skirmish. 

These  corps,  over  the  extreme  difficulties  of  the 

ground — partly  covered  with  a  low  forest — before  described, 
reached  Contreras,  and  found  Cadwallader's  brigade  in  po- 


GENERAL   EGBERT   EDMUND    LEE.  27 

sition,  observing  the  formidable  movement  from  the  capital, 
and  much  needing  the  timely  reinforcement. 

"  It  was  already  dark,  and  the  cold  rain  began  to  fall  in 
torrents  upon  our  unsheltered  troops,  for  the  hamlet,  though  a 
strong  defensive  position,  could  only  hold  the  wounded  men, 
and,  unfortunately,  the  newr  regiments  had  little  or  nothing  to 
eat  in  their  haversacks.  Wet,  hungry,  and  without  the  possi 
bility  of  sleep,  all  our  gallant  corps,  I  learn,  are  full  of  confi 
dence,  and  only  waiting  for  the  last  hour  of  darkness  to 
gain  the  positions  whence  to  storm  and  carry  the  enemy's 
works. 

"  Of  the  seven  officers  dispatched  since  about  sundown  from 
my  position,  opposite  the  enemy's  centre,  and  on  this  side  of 
the  volcanic  field,  to  communicate  instructions  to  the  hamlet, 
not  one  has  succeeded  in  getting  through  these  difficulties, 
increased  by  darkness.  They  have  all  returned.  But  the 
gallant  and  indefatigable  Captain  Lee,  of  the  Engineers,  who 
has  been  constantly  with  the  operating  forces,  is  (11  o'clock 
p.  M.)  just  in  from  Shields,  Smith,  Cadwallader,  etc.,  to 
report  as  above,  and  to  ask  that  a  powerful  diversion  be  made 
against  the  centre  of  the  intrenched  camp  towards  morning. 

"  Brigadier-general  Twiggs,  cut  off,  as  above,  from  the  part 
of  his  division,  beyond  the  impracticable  ground,  and  Captain 
Lee,  are  gone,  under  my  orders,  to  collect  the  forces  remaining 
on  this  side,  with  which  to  make  that  diversion,  at  about  5 
o'clock  in  the  morning. 

This  "diversion,"  ho\vever,  became  a  real  attack,  "  under  the 
command  of  Colonel  Ransom,  of  the  Ninth,  having  with  him 
that  regiment,  and  some  companies  of  three  others,  guided 
by  Captain  Lee At  3  A.  M.  the  great  move 
ment  had  commenced  on  the  rear  of  the  enemy's  camp.  The 
march  wras  rendered  tedious  by  the  darkness,  rain,  and  mud  ; 
but,  about  sunrise,  Riley  had  reached  an  elevation  behind  the 
enemy,  whence  he  precipitated  his  columns,  stormed  the 
intrenchments,  planted  his  several  colors  upon  them,  and 
carried  the  work,  all  in  seventeen  minutes.  Cadwallader  had 
also  brought  up  two  of  his  regiments,  and,  at  the  appointed 
time,  Colonel  Ransom,  with  his  temporary  brigade,  conducted 
by  Captain  Lee,  not  only  made  the  movement  in  front  to 
divert  and  to  distract  the  enemy,  but,  after  crossing  the  deep 


28  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

ravine,  advanced  and  poured  into  the  work,  and  upon  the 
fugitives,  many  volleys  from  his  destructive  musketry."4 

The  victory  of  Contreras  being  complete,  General  Scott, 
after  giving  necessary  orders  on  the  field,  in  the  midst  of 
prisoners  and  trophies,  and  sending  instructions  to  Harney's 
brigade  of  cavalry  (left  at  San  Augustin)  to  join  him,  person 
ally  followed  Pillow's  command. 

Arriving  at  Coyoacan,  two  miles,  by  a  cross-road,  from  the 
river  of  San  Antonio,  General  Scott  first  detached  Captain 
Lee  with  Captain  Kearney's  troop,  First  Dragoons,  supported 
by  the  Rifle  regiment,  under  Major  Loring,  to  reconnoitre  that 
strong  point,  and  next  dispatched  Major-general  Pillow,  with 
Cadwallader's  brigade,  to  make  the  attack  upon  it,  in  concert 
with  Major  General  Worth  on  the  opposite  side.  At  the  same 
time,  by  another  road,  to  the  left,  Lieutenant  Stevens,  of  the 
Engineers,  supported  by  Lieutenant  G.  W.  Smith's  company 
of  sappers  and  miners  of  the  same  corps,  was  sent  to  recon 
noitre  the  strongly  fortified  church  or  convent  of  San  Pablo,  in 
the  hamlet  of  Cherubusco, — one  mile  off.  Twiggs,  with  one 
of  his  brigades,  Smith's,  less  the  Rifles, — and  Captain  Taylor's 
field  battery,  were  ordered  to  follow,  and  to  attack  the  con 
vent.  Major  Smith,  senior  Engineer,  was  dispatched  to  con 
cert  with  Twiggs  the  mode  and  means  of  attack,  and  Twiggs' 
other  brigade,  Rifles,  were  soon  ordered  up  to  support  him. 
Next,  but  all  in  ten  minutes,  Pierce  wras  sent,  though  just 
able  to  keep  his  saddle  with  his  brigade  (Pillow's  division), 
conducted  by  Captain  Lee,  by  a  third  road  a  little  further  to 
our  left,  to  attack  the  enemy's  right  and  rear,  in  order  to  favor 
the  movement  upon  the  convent,  and  to  cut  off  a  retreat 
towards  the  capital.  Finally,  Shields,  with  the  New  York 
and  South  Carolina  Volunteers  (Quitman's  division),  was 
ordered  to  follow  Pierce  closely,  and  to  take  command  of  our 
left  wing.  All  these  movements  were  made  with  the  utmost 
alacrity  by  our  gallant  troops  and  commanders. 

General  Scott  now  found  himself  at  Coyoacan,  from  which 
so  many  roads  conveniently  branched ;  and  without  escort  or 
reserve,  he  had  to  advance,  for  safety,  close  upon  Twiggs' 
rear.  The  battle  then  raged  from  right  to  left  of  the  whole  line. 

Scott,  pp.  471-4-9. 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  29 

Captain  Lee  now  returned  'and  informed  General  Scott  that 
Shields,  in  the  rear  of  Cherubnsco,  was  hard  pressed  and  in 
danger  of  being  outflanked,  if  not  owerwhelmed,  by  superior 
numbers;  thereupon  Major  Sumner,  Second  Dragoons,  the 
Rifles,  and  Captain  Sibley's  troop,  Second  Dragoons,  were  im 
mediately  sent  to  support  our  left,  guided  by  Captain  Lee. 

"  The  victory  of  the  8th  (September),  at  the  Molinos  del 
Rey,  was  followed  by  daring  reconnoissances  on  the  part 
of  our  distinguished  Engineers — Captain  Lee,  Lieutenant 
Beauregard,  etc.  Their  operations  were  directed  principally 
to  the  south — towards  the  gates  of  the  Piedad,"  and  on  the 
heights  of  Chapultepec.  Here  Captain  Lee  wras  wounded,  and, 
though  still  eager  to  advance,  was  compelled  to  retire  from  loss 
of  blood.  But  he  had  well  and  nobly  contributed  towards  the 
glories  of  the  day;  and  when  the  colors  of  the  United  States 
were  hoisted  on  the  national  palace  of  Mexico,  he  could  justly 
feel  entitled  to  share  in  the  praises  so  generously  and  nobly  be 
stowed  by  Scott  on  his  heroic  followers.  "  In  the  glorious  con 
quest,"  says  that  distinguished  officer,  "all  had  contributed 
—early  and  powerfully — the  killed,  the  wounded,  and  the  fit 
for  duty,  as  much  as  those  who  fought  at  the  gates  of  Belena 
and  San  Cosme." 

In  his  official  report,  General  Scott  again  highly  compli 
ments  Captain  Lee  "  as  distinguished  for  felicitous  execution 
as  for  science  and  daring."  And,  furthermore,  he  says,  "  Cap 
tain  Lee,  so  constantly  distinguished,  also  bore  important  orders 
from  me  (September  13th),  until  he  fainted  from  a  wound  and 
the  loss  of  two  nights'  sleep  at  the  batteries."* 

A  writer  in  " Harper's  Weekly"f  has  very  justly  remarked 
that  "  no  one  who  reads  the  voluminous  Reports  of  Scott's  Cam 
paign  in  Mexico  can  fail  to  observe  the  frequency  with  which 
special  honorable  mention  is  made  of  three  young  officers  of 
Engineers, — Captain  R.  E.  Lee,  First-lieutenant  Beauregard, 
and  brevet  Second-lieutenant  G.  B.  McClellan.  Lee  seems 
to  have  been  the  special  favorite  of  the  veteran  General, 
and  there  is  hardly  a  single  dispatch  in  which  his  name  is 

not  honorably  mentioned The  careful  reader  of  the 

whole  series  of  dispatches  respecting  the  campaign  in  Mexico 

*  Scott,  pp.  507,  533.  f  Nov.  1,  1862. 


30  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

will  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  three  men  who,  after  the 
veteran  General,  displayed  the  highest  military  talents,  were 
the  three  young  officers  of  Engineers,  Lee,  Beauregard,  and 

McClellan Lee  and  McClellan  are  now  (November, 

1862)  virtually  at  the  head  of  the  two  armies  of  the  North  and 
South,  and  by  the  almost  unanimous  consent  of  both  sides 
they  are  the  most  capable  men  to  fill  these  posts." 

In  the  above  remarks  there  may  be  some  modification  re 
quired,  even  as  the  Editor  himself,  at  a  later  period,  has  ex 
pressed  ;  for  there  were,  most  undoubtedly,  many  other  eminent 
men  of  great  skill  and  bravery,  in  the  Mexican  War,  who  re 
ceived  due  praise,  and  still  prove  in  the  present  war  their  full 
right  to  the  credit  of  it.  But  our  province  is  simply  to  show 
what  Lee  has  done,  and  how  every  one,  from  his  highest  supe 
rior  officer,  to  those  of  equal  rank  with  himself,  united  in 
awarding  to  him  that  eminence  in  his  military  profession, 
which,  as  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Confederate  forces,  he  has 
since  invariably  displayed. 

During  the  war  in  Mexico  lie  was  promoted  for  gallant  and 
meritorious  conduct, — the  first  time  at  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo, 
as  brevet  major, — the  next  at  Coritreras  and  Cherubusco,  an 
additional  brevet,  which  made  him  a  lieutenant-colonel ;  and, 
for  the  wounds  he  received  at  Chapultepec,  with  his  bravery 
there,  he  was  nominated  for  still  higher  rank. 

The  campaign  over,  Lee  returned  home,  and  again  filled  the 
duties  of  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Engineers.  In  the  early 
part  of  1852  he  appears  to  have  been  ordered  with  his  regi 
ment  to  New  Mexico.  The  following  letter,  said  to  have  been 
found  by  a  soldier  at  Arlington  House,  lately  appeared  in  the 
"  New  York  News"  and  some  southern  and  western  papers,  and 
as  it  serves  to  illustrate  the  personal  character  of  the  writer  we 
give  it  entire. 

"  ARLINGTON  HOUSE,  April  5, 1852. 

"  MY  DEAR  SON  :  I  am  just  in  the  act  of  leaving  home  for 
New  Mexico.  My  fine  old  regiment  has  been  ordered  to  that 
distant  region,  and  I  must  hasten  on  to  see  that  they  are  prop 
erly  cared  for.  I  have  but  little  to  add  in  reply  to  your  let 
ters  of  March  26,  27,  and  28.  Your  letters  breathe  a  true  spirit 
of  frankness ;  they  have  given  myself  and  your  mother  great 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  31 

pleasure.  You  must  study  to  be  frank  with  the  world  :  frank 
ness  is  the  child  of  honesty  and  courage.  Say  just  what  you 
mean  to  do  on  every  occasion,  and  take  it  for  granted  you 
mean  to  do  right.  If  a  friend  asks  a  favor,  you  should  grant 
it,  if  it  is  reasonable  ;  if  not,  tell  him  plainly  why  you  cannot : 
you  will  wrong  him  and  wrong  yourself  by  equivocation  of 
any  kind.  Never  do  a  wrong  thing  to  make  a  friend  or  keep 
one;  the  man  who  requires  you  to  do  so,  is  dearly  purchased 
at  a  sacrifice.  Deal  kindly,  but  firmly,  with  all  your  class 
mates,  you  will  find  it  the  policy  which  wears  best.  Above 
all,  do  not  appear  to  others  what  you  are  not.  If  you  have  any 
fault  to  find  with  any  one,  tell  him,  not  others,  of  what  you 
complain ;  there  is  no  more  dangerous  experiment  than  that  of 
undertaking  to  be  one  thing;  before  a  man's  face  and  another 

o  o 

behind  his  back.  We  should  live,  act,  and  say,  nothing  to  the 
injury  of  any  one.  It  is  not  only  best  as  a  matter  of  principle, 
but  it  is  the  path  to  peace  and  honor. 

"  In  regard  to  duty,  let  me,  in  conclusion  of  this  hasty  letter, 
inform  you  that  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago  there  was  a  day  of 
remarkable  gloom  and  darkness — still  known  as  "  the  dark 
day" — a  day  when  the  light  of  the  sun  was  slowly  extinguished, 
as  if  by  an  eclipse.  The  legislature  of  Connecticut  was  in 
session,  and  as  its  members  saw  the  unexpected  and  unaccount 
able  darkness  coming  on,  they  shared  in  the  general  awe  and 
terror.  It  was  supposed  by  many  that  the  last  day — the  day 
of  judgment — had  come.  Some  one,  in  the  consternation  of 
the  hour,  moved  an  adjournment.  Then  there  arose  an  old 
Puritan  legislator,  Devenport,  of  Stamford,  and  said,  that  if 
the  last  day  had  come,  he  desired  to  be  found  at  his  place 
doing  his  duty,  and,  therefore,  moved  that  candles  be  brought 
in,  so  that  the  house  could  proceed  with  its  duty.  There  was 
quietness  in  that  man's  mind,  the  quietness  of  heavenly  wisdom 
and  inflexible  willingness  to  obey  present  duty.  Duty,  then, 
is  the  sublimest  word  in  our  language.  Do  your  duty  in  all 
things,  like  the  old  Puritan.  You  cannot  do  more,  you 
should  never  wish  to  do  less.  Never  let  me  and  your  mother 
wear  one  gray  hair  for  any  lack  of  duty  on  your  part. 
u  Your  affectionate  father, 

"  E.  E.  LEE. 

"  To  G.  W.  CUSTIS  LEE." 


32  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  1852,  Colonel  Lee  was  appointed  to 
succeed  Captain  Brewerton  as  Superintendent  of  the  Military 
Academy  at  West  Point.  Here,  under  his  administration,  and 
on  the  28th  of  August,  1854,  the  course  of  study  was,  by  direc 
tion  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  extended  so  as  to  embrace  a  term 
of  five  years. 

On  the  first  of  April,  1855,  Colonel  Lee,  having  been  pro 
moted  to  the  Cavalry  arm  of  the  service,  and  thereby  incapaci 
tated  by  law  from  exercising  superintendence  at  the  Military 
Academy,  was  succeeded  by  Major  J.  G.  Barnard. 

The  regiment  to  which  Lee  was  now  appointed  was  the  Second 
U.  S.  Cavalry,  a  new  regiment  organized  under  the  act  of 
March  3,  1855,  its  colonel  being  Albert  Sydney  Johnson, 
afterwards  a  Confederate  General.  This  regiment  was  much 
employed  in  the  Indian  wars  on  the  prairies  of  Texas,  which 
created  so  much  excitement  at  the  time ;  and  here  again  Lieu 
tenant-colonel  Lee  highly  distinguished  himself.  But,  for  how 
long  he  was  so  employed,  we  are  unable  to  say.  This  is  cer 
tain,  however,  that  in  1859  he  was  on  his  estates  at  Arlington, 
or  perhaps  at  Washington  on  duty,  because  he  then  appeared 
in  connection  with  the  John  Brown  raid  at  Harper's  Ferry, 
to  which  we  must  now  refer. 

The  news  of  the  insurrection  of  this  enthusiast  and  his  fol 
lowers,  and  their  seizure  of  Government  property,  had  no 
sooner  reached  Washington  than  President  Buchanan  con 
sulted  with  the  Secretary  of  War  as  to  the  best  measures 
to  be  adopted.  To  this  consultation  Colonel  Lee  (then 
Lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Second  Cavalry,  U.  S.  Army) 
was  summoned,  and,  after  arranging  plans  to  prevent  additional 
outbreak,  he  was  dispatched  to  command  the  regular  troops 
concentrating  at  Harper's  Ferry.  Accompanied  by  his  Aid, 
Lieutenant  J.  E.  B.  Stuart — lately  a  General  in  the  Confed 
erate  Army — he  set  out  on  a  special  train  on  the  evening  of 
October  17th,  and  sent  a  telegraphic  dispatch  to  the  United 
States  Marines,  in  advance  of  him,  directing  them  what  to  do. 
Other  troops — the  militia  from  Virginia  and  Maryland — had 
promptly  reached  the  scene,  and  when  Colonel  Lee  arrived 
during  the  night,  were  awaiting  his  orders  to  act.  He  imme 
diately  placed  his  command  within  the  armory  grounds,  so  as 
to  completely  surround  the  fire-engine  house  where  the  insur- 


GENERAL   ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  33 

rectionists  had  taken  refuge.  This  building  was,  no  doubt,  the 
most  defensible  one  in  the  armory,  having  dead  brick  walls 
on  three  sides,  and,  on  the  fourth,  large  doors  with  window- 
sashes  above,  some  eight  feet  from  the  ground.  In  it,  Brown 
and  his  party  had  confined  Colonel  Washington,  Mr.  Danger- 
field,  and  some  other  citizens  whom  they  had  surprised  and 
taken  prisoners  the  night  before ;  and  therefore  to  use  the  can 
non  upon  it  now,  would  be  to  endanger  the  lives  of  friends  as 
well  as  foes.  Accordingly,  at  daylight,  Colonel  Lee  took 
measures  to  try  and  capture  the  insurgents,  if  possible,  with 
out  bloodshed.  While  doing  so,  one  of  them  came  out  of  the 
door,  and,  presenting  a  flag  of  truce,  proposed  terms  of  capitu 
lation.  These,  however,  could  not  be  accepted  ;  but,  still  desi 
rous  of  avoiding  more  bloodshed,  Colonel  Lee  at  seven  A.  M.  sent 
his  Aid,  Lieutenant  Stuart,  to  summon  them  quietly  to  surrender, 
promising  to  hold  them  in  security  from  the  threatened  ven 
geance  of  the  citizens,  until  the  President's  pleasure/vvas  known. 
Brown  refused  all  terms  but  those  he  himself  had  proposed, 
viz. :  "  That  they  should  be  permitted  to  march  out  with  their 
men  and  arms,  taking  their  prisoners  with  them;  that 
they  should  proceed  unpursued  to  the  second  toll-gate,  when 
they  would  free  their  prisoners,  the  soldiers  then  being  per 
mitted  to  pursue  them,  and  they  would  fight,  if  they  could  not 
escape." 

Finding  the  insurgents  thus  madly  bent  on  their  own  de 
struction,  Lieutenant  Stuart,  by  direction  of  Colonel  Lee,  ear 
nestly  remonstrated  with  them,  but,  after  staying  there  a  while 
in  a  dangerous  proximity,  and  evincing  that  coolness  and 
courage  ever  since  so  conspicuously  displayed  in  him,  he  came 
away.  At  this  moment,  perceiving  all  his  humane  efforts  to  be 
thrown  away,  Colonel  Lee  gave  orders  for  an  attack.  A  strong 
party  of  marines  under  Lieutenant  Green  had  been  previously 
posted  so  near  the  building  that,  at  a  concerted  signal,  they 
advanced  by  two  lines  quickly  on  each  side  the  door.  When 
near  enough,  two  powerful  men  sprang  between  the  lines,  and, 
with  heavy  sledge-hammers,  attempted  to  batter  down  the 
doors,  but  failed.  They  then  took  hold  of  a  ladder  some  forty 
feet  long,  and,  advancing  with  a  run,  brought  it  with  tremen 
dous  effect  upon  the  door.  At  the  second  blow  it  gave  away, 
and  immediately  the  marines,  headed  by  Major  Kussell  and 

3 


34  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

Lieu  tenant  Green,  rushed  to  the  breach  as  a  volley  from  within 
came  right  upon  them.  One  of  the  marines  instantly  fell,  and 
another  was  severely  wounded  ;  but  it  was  necessary,  if  possible, 
to  avoid  firing  upon  the  friends  within  ;  and  accordingly  great 
care  was  taken.  Fortunately,  this  was  successful.  The  marines 
marked  their  men,  and,  as  the  captured  citizens,  by  advice  of 
Colonel  Washington,  held  up  their  arms,  not  one  of  them  was 
hurt.  In  a  moment,  more  of  the  soldiers  rushed  in  and  secured 
the  rioters,  after  two  of  them  were  killed,  and  two  more 
wounded.  The  next  instant  all  was  over :  the  liberated  citizens 
were  hailed  with  shouts  of  congratulation  by  the  excited  crowd 
of  spectators  without,  and  the  captured  rioters  met  with  exe 
crations.  Indeed,  only  for  the  precautions  wisely  taken  by 
Colonel  Lee,  it  is  more  than  probable  they  would  have  been 
shot  down  on  .the  spot. 

Colonel  Lee  at  once  telegraphed  to  Washington  for  further 
instructions,  which  were  promptly  returned  to  him,  stating 
that  Mr.  Ould,  District  Attorney  for  the  District  of  Columbia, 
would  immediately  arrive  to  take  charge  of  the  legal  proceed 
ings,  and  bring  the  rioters  to  trial. 

Thus  ended  the  John  Brown  affair,  so  far  as  the  military  and 
Colonel  Lee  were  concerned.  The  prisoners  were  handed  over 
to  Mr.  Ould,  and  Colonel  Lee  returned  to  his  cavalry  com 
mand. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Commencement  of  Civil  War.— Lee  at  Texas.— Returns  home  and  Resigns  his 
Commission. — Difficulty  of  his  Position. — His  Letters  on  the  Subject. — Parting  be 
tween  him  and  General  Scott. — His  family  Mansion. — Arlington  House. — General 
McDowell's  noble  feeling  in  reference  to  it. — Description  of  the  Estate. — Washing 
ton  Relics. — Lee  appointed  to  the  Command  in  Virginia. — Organizes  troops  around 
Richmond. — .Succeeds  General  Garnett  in  Western  Virginia. — Battle  of  Cheat  Moun 
tain. — Retreat  of  Lee. — Appointed  to  take  charge  of  Coast  Defences.— Summoned  to 
Richmond  and  made  Commanding  General  of  the  Forces. — Commencement  of  Siege 
of  Richmond. — General  Johnston. — Defensive  Operations. — The  White  House. — 
Mrs.  General  Lee  Captured. — Battle  of  Seven  Pines. — Johnston  Wounded,  and  Lee 
appointed  to  Command  the  Army. 

WE  now  come  to  the  commencement  of  that  period  in  the 
life  of  Lee  which  has  made  his  name  so  conspicuous  through 
out  the  world.  In  the  beginning  of  1861,  he  was  with  his 
regiment  at  San  Antonio,  Texas,  and  it  was  there  that  news 
reached  him  of  his  native  State  contemplating  a  withdrawal 
from  the  Federal  Union. 

At  this  time  it  appears  evident  that  a  great  struggle  was 
going  on  within  his  breast  as  to  the  course  he  should  pursue 
in  relation  to  the  strife  then  commencing.  His  natural  attach 
ment  to  the  State  in  which  he  was  born,  and  where  all  his 
family  had  resided  during  so  many  past  years,  drew  him  to  her 
fortunes,  whatever  they  might  be.  On  the  other  hand,  all  his 
public  career,  his  fame  and  rank,  were  identified  with  that  flag 
he  had  so  well  and  so  bravely  fought  under.  Then,  too,  there 
were  his  gallant  associates  in  arms, — his  friend  and  admirer 
General  Scott,  who,  when  applied  to  by  the  President  to  rec 
ommend  some  one  of  the  army  officers  qualified  to  fill  the 
place  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  General  Jessup,  named  him 
first  on  the  list  of  four.*  Added  to  all  this  was  the  inevitable 
reflection  that,  once  in  arms  against  the  Government  of  the 

*  Miss.  Rep.,  June  24,  1861. 


SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 


United  States,  his  high  and  lofty  position  as  a  noble  gentle 
man  and  an  officer  of  exalted  rank,  with  an  unblemished  rep 
utation,  would  be  thenceforth  coupled,  in  history  and  state 
documents,  with  the  terras  "  Eebel  and  Traitor."  Still  more, 
there  was  the  terrible  results  certain  to  accrue  from  joining  in 
the  war,  and  the  inward  sorrow  he  must  feel  on  beholding  the 
devastation  and  misery  following  the  first  blood  spilled  on  his 
native  soil.  His  house,  his  fortunes,*  his  family,  had  all  to  be 
considered,  and,  turn  whichever  way  he  might,  it  would  seem 
that  no  escape  from  being  involved  in  the  national  calamity 
presented  itself  —  one  side  or  the  other  was  alike  injurious  to 
him.  Early  in  the  year,  the  Governor  of  Virginia  had  been 
authorized  by  the  State  Legislature  to  raise  and  organize  a 
military  force  of  from  ten  to  twenty  thousand  men,  under  an 
officer  of  experience,  with  the  title  of  Major-general  ;  but  still 
Lee  remained  true  to  his  allegiance,  perhaps  hoping  that  Vir 
ginia  would  not,  after  all,  secede.  That  hope,  alas  !  was  futile. 
Events  followed  one  another  rapidly  from  the  time  of  his  ap 
pointment  in  the  regular  army  as  colonel,  to  the  hour  when, 
Fort  Sumter  having  surrendered,  on  the  14th  of  April,  open 
war  between  the  North  and  South  commenced.  He  could  no 
longer  hesitate.  Other  high  and  experienced  officers,  born  in 
the  South,  were  resigning,  and  his  native  State  called  upon 
him  to  do  likewise,  and  come  to  her  aid.  In  vain  his  friend 
and  former  chief,  General  Scott,  begged  of  him  not  to  relin 
quish  his  position  in  the  regular  army.  "  For  God's  sake, 
don't  resign,  Lee,"  the  veteran  General  is  reported  to  have 
said  ;  but  the  response  was,  u  I  am  compelled  to.  I  cannot 
consult  my  own  feelings  in  this  matter,"  and  he  threw  up  his 
commission,  his  resignation  being  received  on  the  20th  of 
April.f 


*  It  was  publicly  stated  in  the  "Baltimore  American,"  May  23,  1861,  that 
"  Lee's  baggage  and  papers  were  seized  at  New  York  en  route  from  Texas  to 
Virginia." 

f  Lee's  final  letter  to  Scott  was  as  follows  : 

ARLINGTON,  VA.,  April  20th,  1861. 

GENERAL  :  Since  my  interview  with  you  on  the  18th  instant,  I  have  felt 
that  I  ought  not  longer  to  retain  my  commission  in  the  army.  I,  therefore, 
tender  my  resignation,  which  I  request  you  will  recommend  for  acceptance. 
It  would  have  been  presented  at  once,  but  for  the  struggle  it  has  cost  me  to 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LP:E.  37 

It  lias  been  stated  that  the  parting  between  Scott  and  Lee 
was  very  painful ; — and  naturally  so.*  Two  warm  friends  who 
had  often  been  in  intimate  relationship  during  a  war  where  all 
fought  together,  even  closeted  in  serious  council  when  military 
measures  of  importance — as  at  Yera  Cruz — were  to  be  adopted, 
could  not  now  sever  and  take  opposite  sides  in  an  intestine 

separate  myself  from  a  service  to  which  I  have  devoted  all  the  best  years  of 
my  life  and  all  the  ability  I  possessed. 

During  the  whole  of  that  time — more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century — I  have 
experienced  nothing  but  kindness  from  my  superiors,  and  the  most  cordial 
friendship  from  my  comrades.  To  no  one,  General,  have  I  been  as  much  in 
debted  as  to  yourself  for  uniform  kindness  and  consideration,  and  it  has  always 
been  my  ardent  desire  to  merit  your  approbation.  I  shall  carry  to  the  grave 
the  most  grateful  recollections  of  your  kind  consideration,  and  your  name  and 
fame  will  always  be  dear  to  me. 

Save  in  defence  of  my  native  State,  I  never  desire  again  to  draw  my  sword. 
Be  pleased  to  accept  my  most  earnest  wishe^for  the  continuance  of  your  happi 
ness  and  prosperity,  and  believe  me,  most  truly  yours, 

K.  E.  LEE. 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  WINFIELD  SCOTT, 
Commanding  United  States  Army. 

A  copy  of  the  preceding  letter  was  inclosed  in  the  following  letter  to  a  sis 
ter  of  the  General,  Mrs.  A.  M. : 

ARLINGTON,  VA.,  April  20th,  1861. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  :  I  am  grieved  at  my  inability  to  see  you I  have 

been  waiting  "  for  a  more  convenient  season,"  which  has  brought  to  many 
before  me  deep  and  lasting  regret.  Now  we  are  in  a  state  of  war  which  will 
yield  to  nothing.  The  whole  South  is  in  a  state  of  revolution,  into  which 
Virginia,  after  a  long  struggle,  has  been  drawn,  and  though  I  recognize  no 
necessity  for  this  state  of  things,  and  would  have  forborne  and  pleaded  to  the 
end  for  redress  of  grievances,  real  or  supposed,  yet  in  my  own  person  I  had  to 
meet  the  question,  whether  I  should  take  part  against  my  native  State.  With 
all  my  devotion  to  the  Union,  and  the  feeling  of  loyalty  and  duty  of  an  Amer 
ican  citizen,  I  have  not  been  able  to  make  up  my  mind  to  raise  my  hand 
against  my  relatives,  my  children,  my  home.  I  have,  therefore,  resigned  my 
commission  in  the  army,  and  save  in  defence  of  my  native  State,  with  the  sin 
cere  hope  that  my  poor  services  may  never  be  needed,  I  hope  I  may  never  be 
called  on  to  draw  my  sword. 

I  know  you  will  blame  me,  but  you  must  think  as  kindly  of  me  as  you  can, 
and  believe  that  I  have  endeavored  to  do  what  I  thought  right.  To  show  you 
the  feeling  and  struggle  it  has  cost  me,  I  send  a  copy  of  my  letter  to  General 
Scott,  which  accompanied  my  letter  of  resignation.  I  have  no  time  for  more. 

.  .  .  .  May  God  guard  and  protect  you  and  yours,  and  shower  upon  you 
every  blessing,  is  the  prayer  of  your  devoted  brother, 

E.  E.  LEE. 

*  Newspaper,  June  22,  1861,  M.  B. 


38  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

strife  without  much  pain.  Then,  too,  the  knowledge  which 
as  experienced  officers  each  must  have  had,  in  common  with 
other  soldiers  of  rank  and  skill,  of  the  terrible  effects  of  such 
a  strife,  would  compel  them  to  most  sad  and  gloomy  thoughts. 
They  had  seen  and  well  knew  the  calamities  and  the  horrors 
of  war,  and  could  too  clearly  see  the  fearful  misery  sure  to 
attend  a  civil  war  above  all  other  wars.  Politicians,  Lawyers, 
Civilians,  Theorists,  "  Humanitarians,"  knew  it  not,  save  in  the 
fancy  of  their  brain.  Thus  the  two  military  friends  knew  what 
was  to  follow,  and  could  be  well  excused — nay,  even  ad 
mired  for  their  good  feeling — if,  as  is  said,  tears  came  into 
their  eyes  when  they  were  about  to  part,  perhaps  forever,  and 
take  up  opposite  sides  in  deadly  strife. 

"What  Lee's  struggle  of  mind  must  have  been  at  the  time, 
may  be  gathered  from  the  following  passage  in  a  letter  sent 
by  Mrs.  Lee  in  the  Christies  of  1861  to  a  Union  friend.  She 
says,  "  My  husband  has  wept  tears  of  blood  over  this  terrible 
war,  but  he  must,  as  a  man  of  honor  and  a  Virginian,  share 
the  destiny  of  his  State,  which  has  solemnly  pronounced  for 
independence."* 

Of  the  great  estimation  Lee  wras  held  in  by  the  highest  mili 
tary  authorities  in  the  United  States,  an  idea  may  be  formed 
from  General  Scott's  remark,  that  "  it  were  better  for  every 
officer  in  the  army,  including  himself,  to  die,  than  Robert 
Lee."f 

At  this  time,  Lee's  family  resided  at  the  famous  Custis 
Mansion,  called  Arlington  House,  on  the  heights,  and  the 
following  particulars  relating  to  it  may  not  be  uninteresting. 
A  writer  in  the  "  New  York  Daily  News,"  July  9th,  1861, 
says : 

"  General  McDowell  wrould  not  occupy  the  evacuated  '  Lee- 
House,'  preferring  the  tented  field  and  a  soldier's  fare  to  the 
luxury  of  enjoying  the  General's  abandoned  quarters.  This 
act,  of  itself,  has  greatly  endeared  him  to  the  soldiers,  who  are 
ready  to  follow  him  anywhere.  His  tent  is  a  few  paces  distant 
from  the  south  wing  of  the  house.  In  front  of  the  door  stands 
a  small  plain  table — without  paint,  varnish,  covering,  or 'any 
such  thing.  A  few  books  and  writing  materials  upon  it,  with 

*  Sun,  Oct.  1, 1862.  f  Mobile  Adv.,  May  3,  1861. 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  39 

a  single  chair  alongside,  tell  plainly  that  the  General,  and  he 
alone,  sits  at  that  table. 

"  Southeastward  some  sixty  rods,  and  at  gentle  descent,  the 
visitor  beholds  two  monumental  pillars  of  white  marble,  stand 
ing  at  the  head  of  two  graves.  The  largest  of  the  monuments 
reads  thus  :  " George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  died  1853 ;"  the 
other,  "Mary  L.  Custis,  died  1857."  Those  departed  ones, 
— once  united  in  life,  and  not  separated  in  death — were  of 
family  kin  with  the  immortal  Washington;  and  what  a  sad, 
sad  comment  does  the  present  read  of  the  past ! 

"  All  around  here,  Arlington  Heights  presents  a  lovely 
picture  of  rural  beauty.  The 'General-Lee  House'  (as  some 
term  it)  stands  on  a  grassy  lot  surrounded  with  a  grove  of 
stately  trees  and  underwood,  except  in  front,  where  is  a  ver 
dant  sloping  ground  for  a  few  rods,  when  it  descends  into  a 
valley,  spreading  away  in  beautiful  and  broad  expanse  to  the 
lovely  Potomac.  This  part  of  this  splendid  estate  is  apparently 
a  highly  cultivated  meadow,  the  grass  waving  in  the  gentle 
breeze,  like  the  undulating  bosom  of  Old  Atlantic.  To  the 
south,  north,  and  west,  the  grounds  are  beautifully  diversified 
into  hill  and  valley,  and  richly  stored  with  oak,  willow,  and 
maple,  though  the  oak  is  the  principal  wood. 

"The  view  from  this  height  is  a  charming  picture.  Wash 
ington,  Georgetown,  and  the  intermediate  Potomac,  all  before 
you  in  the  foreground — while  the  white  tents  of  troops  quar 
tered  in  the  suburbs  over  the  river,  at  almost  every  point,  with 
mountain  high,  and  valley  deep,  in  the  background." 

In  connection  with  the  above,  the  following  has  an  especial 
interest. 

When  Mrs.  Lee  was  obliged  to  leave  Arlington  House  8n  its 
being  occupied  by  General  Sandford  and  the  New  York  troops, 
it  is  related  in  the  "  Evening  Post" — and  with  no  delicacy  of 
language — that  "  she  undertook  to  carry  with  her  all  the 
Washington  relics  which  had  been  so  jealously  preserved  by 
her  patriotic  father,  Mr.  George  Washington  Parke  Custis. 
Repeatedly  she  wrote  to  General  McDowell,  with  whom  she 
had  been  acquainted  as  her  husband's  associate  on  the  staff  of 
General  Wool  during  the  Mexican  War,  that  she  had  left 
nothing  at  Arlington  in  any  way  connected  with  the  public  or 
domestic  life  of  the  father  of  his  country. 


40  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

"For  a  long  time  after  the  flight  of  the  Lees,  General 
McDowell,  though  quartered  on  the  grounds,  refused  to  enter 
Arlington  House.  A  scrupulous  respecter  of  private  rights,  he 
would  not  occupy,  nor  allow  to  be  occupied  by  his  officers  or 
men,  any  portion  of  the  mansion,  which,  in  his  opinion,  be 
longed  to  General  Lee  quite  as  much  as  though  he  still  made 
his  home  within  its  massive  walls.  When  the  Confiscation 
Act  was  passed  by  Congress,  and  a  telegraphic  operator  had 
taken  possession  of  one  of  the  best  rooms,  he  was  still  reluctant 
to  enter  the  old  building  on  account  of  the  Washington  mem 
ories  clustering  around  it,  and  it  was  at  last  by  force  of  cir 
cumstances  rather  than  by  his  own  free  will,  that  he  made  it 
his  headquarters. 

"For  a  long  time  access  to  the  upper  rooms  was  forbidden, 
and  even  the  cellar  was  not  opened  to  the  curious  visitor. 
The  historical  paintings  of  Mr.  Custis,  which,  from  their  want  of 
merit,  clearly  demonstrate  that  however  true  a  patriot  that 
worthy  descendant  of  the  Washington  family  may  have  been, 
he  was  by  no  means  an  artist,  and  which  Mrs.  Lee  had  shown 
good  taste  in  leaving  behind,  were  most  carefully  guarded. 
Never  did  tenant  use  a  house  more  gingerly.  Relics  of  in 
estimable  value  might  have  slumbered  in  its  upper  chambers, 
or  had  quiet  preservation  in  its  basement-rooms  forever  and 
aye,  for  none  but  General  McDowell  entered  the  venerable 
premises. 

"But  there  lately  came  to  Washington  a  curiosity-hunter — 
an  antiquarian,  vigorous  and  insatiable — an  enthusiast  in 
Washington  relics — Caleb  Lyon  by  name — he  of  Lyonsdale, 
who,  disdaining  the  letters  of  Mrs.  Lee,  sought  permission  to 
unveil  the  deepest  recesses  of  the  establishment.  He  searched 
the  house  from  foundation  to  roof-tree.  Fortunate  search  !  for 
in  an  inner  cellar  he  found  a  priceless  prize,  in  a  variety  of 
household  articles  identified  as  belonging  to  Washington  ;  but 
which  one  less  familiar  with  the  history  of  Mount  Yernon  and 
Arlington  would  have  passed  by  as  of  no  especial  interest  or 
value.  t 

"  Among  these  articles  are  a  number  of  pieces  of  the  Martha 
Washington  China.  The  centre  of  each  piece  has  the  mono 
gram  '  M.  W.,'  from  which  four  golden  rays  diverge,  each 
point  reaching  to  a  blue  oval,  in  which,  in  distinct  rings,  con- 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  41 

nected  by  golden  links,  are  written  the  names  of  the  original 
States  and  Kentucky;  while  around  the  rim,  the  Egyptian  sym 
bol  of  eternal  union — a  green  serpent  with  its  tail  in  its  mouth — 
and  a  crimson  ribbon  bearing  the  legend,  "  Decus  et  tutamen 
abillo"  exquisitely  painted,  completes  the  decoration,  which 
for  richness  and  appropriateness  has  never  been  excelled  at 
Sevres. 

"  This  set  of  porcelain  was  presented  by  General  Lafayette 
and  his  brother  officers,  including  Kochambeau  and  Count  De 
Grasse,  as  a  fitting  testimonial  to  the  lady  whose  house  had 
been  their  home  while  fighting  the  battles  of  the  Kevqlution, 
and  also  with  the  sanction  and  subscription  of  the  Mayor  of  the 
municipality  of  Paris.  The  set  originally  contained  four  hun 
dred  pieces.  A  plate,  a  saucer,  or  a  cup,  were  occasionally  pre 
sented  by  Mrs.  Washington  or  Mr.  Custis  as  the  choicest  souve 
nir  they  could  give  of  the  household  relics  of  Mount  "Vernon. 
Specimens  are  in  possession  of  the  widow  of  Major-general 
Brown,  the  family  of  the  late  Alderman  Peters,  Major 
Mopham,  Caleb  Lyon,  and  others  ;  and  it  was  from  a  famili 
arity  with  the  one  given  to  the  latter  gentleman  some  years 
ago  by  Mr.  Custis,  that  he  was  able  to  promptly  identify  the 
remainder  of  the  set  remaining  at  Arlington. 

"  Two  of  the  rich  porcelain  vases  presented  to  Washington  by 
Mr.  Vaugh,  and  sketched  by  Lossing  in  his  ;  Mount  Vernon 
and  its  Associations' — those  ornamented  by  lions  and  tigers — 
were  also  brought  to  light  by  Mr.  Lyon.  The  one  decorated 
with  leopards  has  not  been  discovered,  and  is  probably  lost. 
The  ground-work  of  these  vases  is  of  the  finest  and  rarest  blue, 
but  they  are  somewhat  broken. 

"  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  officers  of  the  He  volution  ary 
army  belonging  to  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  sent  to  China 
an  order  for  a  thousand  pieces,  including  breakfast,  dinner,  and 
tea  sets,  of  the  finest  India  ware,  for  presentation  to  Washing 
ton.  The  ornamentation  is  blue  and  gilt,  with  the  coat  of 
arms  of  the  society,  held  by  Fame,  with  a  blue  ribbon  from 
which  is  suspended  the  eagle  of  the  order,  »Tith  a  green  wreath 
about  its  neck,  and  on  its  breast  a  shield  representing  the  in 
auguration  of  the  order.  Altogether,  fifty  pieces  of  this  set 
yet  remain  at  Arlington,  more  or  less  perfect.  The  tea-table 
used  by  Washington,  and  one  bookcase,  also  remain.  General 


42  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

McDowell  rendered  Mr.  Lyon  every  facility  for  brushing  up 
these  interesting  relics,  ,and  expects  an  order  from  the  War 
Department  to  place  them  in  the  Patent  Office  or  Smithsonian 
institute.  They  would  be  perfectly  safe  at  Arlington,  while 
the  General  remains  here,  but  to  guard  against  the  carelessness 
of  those  who  may  cgme  after  him,  when  the  long- promised  ad 
vance  begins,  and  to  gratify  the  public,  it  is  doubtless  wise 
to  so  dispose  of  the  precious  articles." 

Immediately  upon  Lee's  resignation  in  the  regular  army, 
he  was  appointed,  by  Governor  Letcher,  Major-general  in 
command  of  all  the  military  forces  in  Virginia.  This  ap 
pointment  was  confirmed,  and  made  known  to  him,  on  the 
23d  day  of  April,  by  the  Convention  then  assembled,  through 
the  President,  John  Lanney,  Esq.  The  following  particu- 
lers  of  his  reception  are  given"  in  the  Richmond  papers  of 
the  day  : 

"The  Convention  having  assembled,  the  Honorable  A.  IT. 
Stephens,  Vice-president  of  the  Confederate  States,  entered 
the  Hall,  accompanied  by  Governor  Letcher,  and  wras  intro 
duced  to  the  President  by  Mr.  Johnston,  of  Lee  county,  a 
member  of  the  committee  appointed  to  invite  and  conduct  that 
gentleman  to  the  Hall. 

"  Mr.  Johnston  next  introduced  Judge  Allen,  a  member  of 
the  Advisory  Council  of  the  Governor;  and  following  him 
were  Colonel  Smith  and  Captain  M.  F.  Maury,  both  intro 
duced  as  the  other  members  of  the  Advisory  Council. 

"  Every  delegate  was  on  his  feet  during  this  ceremony. 
The  Governor  and  Mr.  Stephens  were  assigned  seats  on  the 
right  of  the  President,  and  the  three  members  of  the  Advisory 
Council  on  the  left. 

"  At  this  time  Major-general  Lee  entered,  leaning  on  the 
arm  of  Mr.  Johnson,  of  Richmond,  the  Chairman  of  the  Com 
mittee  appointed  to  conduct  the  distinguished  military  chief 
to  the  hall.  As  they  reached  the  centre  of  the  main  aisle,  Mr. 
Johnson  said,  '  Mr.  President,  I  have  the  honor  to  present  to 
you,  and  to  the  contention,  Major-general  Lee.' 

"The  President  then  said,  '  Major-general  Lee,  in  the  name 
of  the  people  of  our  native  State,  here  represented,  I  bid  you 
a  cordial  and  heartfelt  welcome  to  this  hall,  in  which  wre  may 
yet  almost  hear  the  echo  of  the  voices  of  the  statesmen,  the 


GENERAL   ROBERT   EDMUND   LEE.  43 

soldiers  and  sages  of  by-gone  days,  who  have  borne  your 
name,  and  whose  blood  now  flows  in  your  veins. 

"  We  met  in  the  month  of  February  last,  charged  with  the 
solemn  duty  of  protecting  the  rights,  the  honor,  and  the  inter 
ests  of  the  people  of  this  Commonwealth.  We  differed  for  a 
time  as  to  the  best  means  of  accomplishing  that  object;  but 
there  never  was,  at  any  moment,  a  shade  of  difference  among 
us  as  to  the  great  object  itself;  and  now  Virginia  having  taken 
her  position,  ns  tar  as  the  power  of  this  Convention  extends, 
we  stand  animated  by  one  impulse,  governed  by  one  desire 
and  one  determination,  and  that  is,  that  she  shall  be  defended; 
and  that  no  spot  of  her  soil  shall  be  polluted  by  the  foot  of  an 
invader. 

"When  the  necessity  became  apparent  of  having  a  leader 
for  our  forces,  all  hearts  and  all  eyes,  by  the  impulse  of  an 
instinct  which  is  a  surer  guide  than  reason  itself,  turned  to  the 
old  county  of  Westmoreland.  We  knew  how  prolific  she  had 
been  in  other  days  of  heroes  and  statesmen.  We  knew  she 
had  given  birth  to  the  Father  of  his  Country,  to  Richard  Henry 
Lee,  to  Monroe,  and  last,  though  not  least,  to  your  own  gal 
lant  father,  and  we  knew  well  by  your  deeds  that  her  produc 
tive  power  was  not  yet  exhausted. 

"  Sir,  we  watched  with  the  most  profound  and  intense  inter 
est  the  triumphal  march  of  the  army  led  by  General  Scott,  to 
which  you  were  attached,  from  Yera  Cruz  to  the  capital  of 
Mexico.  We  read  of  the  sanguinary  conflicts  and  the  blood 
stained  fields,  in  all  of  which  victory  perched  upon  our  own 
banners.  We  knew  of  the  unfading  lustre  that  was  shed  upon 
the  American  arms  by  that  campaign,  and  we  know,  also, 
what  your  modesty  has  always  disclaimed,  that  no  small  share 
of  the  glory  of  those  achievements  was  due  to  your  valor  and 
your  military  genius. 

"  Sir,  one  of  the  proudest  recollections  of  my  life  will  be  the 
honor  that  I  yesterday  had  of  submitting  to  this  body  con 
firmation  of  the  nomination  made  by  the  governor  of  this  State, 
of  you  as  Commander-in-chief  of  the  military  and  naval  forces 
of  this  commonwealth.  I  rose  to  put  the  question,  and  when 
I  asked  if  this  body  would  advise  and  consent  to  that  appoint 
ment,  there  rushed  from  the  hearts  to  the  tongues  of  all  the 
members,  an  affirmative  response,  told  with  an  emphasis  that 


SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

could  leave  no  doubt,  or  the  feeling  whence  it  emanated.  I 
put  the  negative  of  the  question,  for  form's  sake,  but  there  was 
an  unbroken  silence. 

"  Sir,  we  have  by  this  unanimous  vote,  expressed  our  con 
victions  that  you  are  at  this  day  among  the  living  citizens  of 
Virginia,  i  first  in  wTar.'  We  pray  to  God  most  fervently, 
that  you  may  so  conduct  the  operations  committed  to  your 
charge  that  it  will  soon  be  said  of  you,  that  you  are  '  first  in 
peace,'  and  when  that  time  comes,  you  will  have  earned  the 
still  prouder  distinction  of  being  "  first  in  the  hearts  of  your 
countrymen.'  I  will  close  with  one  more  remark. 

"  When  the  Father  of  his  Country  made  his  last  will  and 
testament,  he  gave  his  swords  to  his  favorite  nephews  with  an 
injunction  that  they  should  never  be  drawn  from  their  scab 
bards  except  in  self-defence,  or  in  defence  of  the  rights  and 
liberties  of  their  country,  and,  that  if  drawn  for  the  latter  pur 
pose,  they  should  fall  with  them  in  their  hands,  rather  than 
relinquish  them. 

"  Yesterday  your  mother,  Virginia,  placed  her  sword  in  your 
hand,  upon  the  implied  condition  that  we  know  you  will  keep 
it  to  the  letter  and  in  spirit,  that  you  will  draw  it  only  in  de 
fence,  and  that  you  will  fall  with  it  in  your  hand  rather  than 
the  object  for  which  it  was  placed  there  shall  fail." 

MAJOR-GENERAL  LEE. — "  Mr.  President  and  gentlemen  of  the 
Convention :  Profoundly  impressed  with  the  solemnity  of  the 
occasion,  for  which  I  must  say  I  was  not  prepared,  I  accept 
the  position  assigned  me  by  your  partiality.  I  would  have 
much  preferred,  had  your  choice  fallen  upon  an  abler  man. 
Trusting  in  Almighty  God,  an  approving  conscience,  and  the 
aid  of  my  fellow-citizens,  I  devote  myself  to  the  service  of  my 
native  State,  in  whose  behalf  alone,  will  I  ever  again  draw  my 
sword." 

The  chair  was  then  vacated,  and  some  time  was  spent  in  the 
introduction  of  delegates  to  Major-general  Lee,  and  the  tender 
to  him  of  congratulations  by  the  members. 

The  appointment  of  General  Lee  seemed  to  give  universal 
satisfaction  in  Virginia.  One  of  the  leading  papers  said,  in 
reference  to  some  disquietude  about  an  attack  on  Richmond : 
"  Our  people  must  rest  quiet  upon  the  fact  that  the  military 
preparations,  for  our  defence,  are  under  the  direction  of  shrewd, 


GENERAL    EGBERT   EDMUND   LEE.  45 

skilful,  indefatigable,  experienced,  and  patriotic  officers.  Our 
commanding  general,  Robert  E.  Lee,  has  long  been  the  pride 
of  the  service,  and  he  is  supported  by  subordinates  0f  acknowl 
edged  capacity  and  large  experience." 

One  of  Lee's  first  acts  was  to  fortify  Arlington  Heights. 
Heavy  batteries  were  erected,  and  some  five  thousand  Virginia 
troops  were  concentrated  there.*  But  the  principal  efforts  of 
General  Lee  were  devoted  to  the  organizing  and  equipping  of 
the  military  forces  arriving  from  the  South.  Every  train 
brought  in  troops,  and  it  required  all  the  skill  and  experience 
of  a  practical  mind  to  establish  discipline  and  order.  The 
military  council  at  the  State-house,  Richmond,  consisting  of 
Governor  Letcher,  Lieutenant-governor  Montague,  Lieutenant 
M.  F.  Maury,  of  the  Navy,  General  Lee,  and  others,  wras  inces 
santly  occupied  in  effecting  for  speedy  service,  the  raw  material 
promptly  brought  forward.  Virginia  speedily  became  a  great 
camp.  The  valleys  and  the  hills  swarmed  with  soldiers  eager 
for  the  fray.  Forty-eight  thousand  men,  May  3d,  were  under 
arms,  and  distributed  as  follows :  f  at  Richmond  10,000,  at 
Harper's  Ferry  10,000,  Alexandria  3,000,  Staunton  2,000,  Pe- 
tersburgh  5,000,  Lynchburg  5,000,  Fredericksburg  3,000,  Nor 
folk  10,000  ;  and  it  was  stated  that  "  the  thorough  and  com 
plete  organization  of  the  Quartermaster  and  Commissary  Depart 
ments,  which  General  Lee  had  perfected,  would  enable  the 
immediate  concentration  of  troops  upon  the  borders  of  the 
State,  wherever  the  movements  of  the  enemy  might  demand 
the  presence  of  the  troops.  At  any  moment  General  Lee 
could  leave  Richmond  at  the  head  of  a  large  force ;  and  it  is, 
indeed,  surprising  what  he  accomplished  in  so  short  a  space  of 
time.  "  "With  the  army  to  organize  and  drill,  the  materials  of 
war  to  create  out  of  almost  nothing,  the  troops  to  arm,  clothe 
and  feed,  after  they  had  been  collected,  and  all  the  duties  of  a 
minister  of  war  to  discharge,  in  addition  to  those  more  imme 
diate  of  general-in-chief,"^:  it  wTould  seem  to  be  almost  impos 
sible  for  one  man  to  effect  what  he  did.  Yet  it  was  done,  and 
so  efficiently,  that  the  Northern  papers,  in  speaking  of  military 
movements,  said,  "  Should  the  United  States  troops  succeed  in 
entering  the  State  of  Virginia,  they  will  be  compelled  to  en- 

*  Mob.  Adv.,  Ap.  25-28, 1861.      f  Mob.  Adv.  May  18, 1861.    \  Sthrn.  Biog. 


46  SOUTHEEN   GENERALS. 

counter,  at  various  points  on  the  route,  large  bodies  of  troops, 
strongly  posted  in  positions  capable  of  being  maintained  for 
many  days  against  an  invading  army.  By  the  way  of 
Alexandria,  a  general  of  superior  ability  will  be  required, 
as  he  will  probably  be  compelled  to  encounter,  at  some 
point  on  the  route  to  Richmond,  General  Lee,  himself,  or 
Magruder." 

On  the  6th  of  May,  Virginia  was  admitted  to  the  Southern 
Confederacy,  and  consequently,  her  forces  formed  part  of  the 
entire  Southern  army,  under  control  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 
then  at  Montgomery,  Alabama.  But  on  the  10th  of  May 
General  Lee  was  temporarily  retained  in  the  post  he  was  so 
well  occupying,  until  the  entire  military  organization  of  the 
South  was  complete.  On  the  29th  of  May  President  Davis 
arrived  at  Richmond  ;  but  it  was  %iot  until  the  20th  of  July 
that  the  Southern  Congress  assembled  there,  in  the  hall  of  the 
House  of  Delegates.  It  was  then  that  Lee's  rank  was  fixed  as 
Brigadier-general,  following,  according  to  previous  seniority  in 
the  United  States'  Army,  Generals  Cooper  and  A.  S.  John 
son.  Beauregard,  after  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  was  made  a 
full  general ;  but  there  seems  to  have  been  something  like 
doubt,  and  perhaps  jealousy,  amongst  the  authorities  in  coun 
cil  at  Richmond,  as  to  Lee.  However,  he  waited  his  time,  and 
while  others  were  sent  forward,  and  were  actively  engaged  at 
the  advanced  posts,  he  cheerfully  gave  his  valuable  services  to 
the  cause  at  Richmond,  and  employed  his  engineering  skill  to 
great  advantage  in  its  defence. 

After  the  retreat  of  General  Garnett  from  Rich  Mountain, 
and  the  death  of  that  officer,  General  Lee  was  appointed  to 
succeed  him,  and,  with  as  little  delay  as  possible,  repaired  to 
the  scene  of  operations.*  He  took  with  him  reinforcements, 
making  his  whole  force,  in  conjunction  with  the  remnant  of 
General  Garnett's  army,  about  sixteen  thousand  men.  On  the 
10th  of  August  he  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Cheat  Moun 
tain,  and  found  it  strongly  fortified.  The  position  was  known 
to  be  an  exceedingly  strong  one,  and  not  easily  turned.  Never 
theless,  General  Lee  was  confident  that  he  would  be  able,  by 
strategic  movements,  to  dislodge  the  enemy  from  his  strong- 

*  Pollard,  First  Year  of  the  War,  p.  168. 


GENERAL    EGBERT   EDMUND   LEE.  47 

hold,  capture  his  forces,  and  then  march  his  victorious  army 
into  the  heart  of  Northwestern  Virginia.  Rosecrans  was  then 
the  ranking  officer  of  the  Union  troops  in  that  department, 
but  General  Reynolds  was  in  command  of  the  forces  at  Cheat 
Mountain,  and  in  its  vicinity,  his  force  being  estimated  at  from 
ten  to  twelve  thousand  men. 

General  Lee  felt  his  way  cautiously  along  the  road  leading 
from  Huntersville  to  Huntonsville,  and,  reaching  Yalley  Moun 
tain,  he  halted  for  some  time,  arranging  his  plans  for  attacking 
the  enemy,  who  were  about  eight  miles  below  him,  at  Crouch's, 
in  Tygart  Valley  river,  five  or  six  thousand  strong.  His 
plans  were  arranged  so  as  to  divide  his  forces  for  the  purpose 
of  surrounding  the  enemy.  After  great  labor  and  endurance 
of  severe  hardship  on  the  mountain  spurs,  where  the  weather 
was  very  cold,  he  succeeded  in  getting  below  the  enemy,  on 
Tygart  Valley  river,  placing  other  portions  of  his  forces  on 
the  spurs  of  the  mountains  immediately  east  and  west  of  the 
enemy,  and  marched  another  portion  of  his  troops  down  the 
Valley  river,  close  to  the  enemy.  The  forces  were  thus  ar 
ranged  in  position  for  making  attack  upon  the  enemy  at 
Crouch's,  and  remained  there  for  some  hours.  It  was,  doubt 
less,  in  the  plan  of  General  Lee,  for  his  forces  to  remain  in 
position  until  the  consummation  of  another  part  of  his  plan, 
viz.,  that  some  fifteen  hundred  of  General  H.  R.  Jackson's 
forces,  stationed  at  Greenbrier  river,  should  march  around  an 
other  position  of  the  enemy,  at  the  celebrated  Cheat  Mountain 
Pass,  where  he  was  five  or  six  thousand  strong.  Jackson's 
forces  did  march  around  this  position,  under  command  of 
Colonel  Rust,  of  Arkansas,  through  extraordinary  difficulties 
and  perils,  and  under  circumstances  of  terrible  exhaustion. 
The  troops  had  to  ascend  the  alniost  perpendicular  mountain 
side,  but  finally  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  position  in  front  of, 
and  to  the  west  of  the  enemy.  The  attack  of  this  force  upon 
the  enemy  at  Cheat  Mountain,  was  understood  to  be,  in  the 
plan  of  General  Lee,  a  signal  for  the  attack  by  his  forces  upon 
the  enemy  at  Crouch's.  Colonel  Rust,  however,  discovered  the 
enemy  on  the  mountain  to  be  safely  protected  by  block-houses, 
and  other  defences,  and  concluding  that  an  attack  could  not  be 
made  with  any  hope  .of  success,  ordered  a  retreat.  The  signal 
was  not  given  according  to  the  plan  of  General  Lee,  and  no  at- 


48  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

tack  was  made  by  his  forces,  which  retreated,  without  firing  a 
gun,  back  to  Valley  Mountain. 

This  plan  of  General  Lee's,  a  finished  drawing  of  which 
was  sent  to  the  War  Department,  was  said  to  have  been  one 
of  the  best  laid  that  ever  illustrated  the  rules  of  strategy, 
or  ever  went  awry  on  account  of  practical  failure  in  its  ex 
ecution. 

Having  failed  in  his  plans  for  dislodging  the  enemy  from 
Cheat  Mountain,  and  thus  relieving  Northwestern  Virginia, 
General  Lee  determined  to  proceed  to  the  Kanawha  region, 
with  a  view  of  relieving  Generals  Floyd  and  Wise,  and  possibly 
driving  the  enemy  to  the  extreme  western  borders  of  Virginia. 
Accordingly,  in  the  latter  part  of  September  he  ordered  the 
principal  portions  of  his  command  to  take  up  a  line  of  march 
in  that  direction.  ~ 

It  has  already  been  stated,  that  General  Floyd  had  fallen 
back  with  his  forces,  to  Meadow  Bluff,  while  General  Wise 
stopped  east  of  the  summit  of  Big  Sewell.  In  this  position 
General  Lee  found  them  on  his  arrival.  He  took  up  his  head 
quarters  with  General  Floyd,  and,  after  examining  his  position, 
proceeded  to  Sewell,  where  General  Wise  still  remained  in 
front  of  the  enemy.  He  decided  to  fortify  Wise's  position. 
General  Floyd's  command,  except  a  garrison. at  Meadow  Bluff, 
returned  to  Big  Sewell.  He  had  been  largely  reinforced  since 
he  had  left  the  Gauley  river.  The  position  of  Big  Sewell  was 
made  exceedingly  strong  by  a  breastwork,  extending  four 
miles. 

The  whole  Confederate  force  here,  nnder  command  of  Gen 
eral  Lee,  was  nearly  twenty  thousand  ;  and  for  twelve  or  fifteen 
days  it  remained  in  position  facing  the  enemy,  each  party  await 
ing  an  attack  from  the  other.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  one 
morning,  it  was  discovered  by  General  Lee,  that  Eosecrans  had 
disappeared  in  the  night,  and  reached  his  old  position  on  the 
Gauley,  thirty-two  miles  distant.  Lee  was  unable  to  follow, 
on  account  of  the  leanness  of  his  artillery-horses,  and  the 
swollen  streams  and  mud  impeding  his  way,  with  such  poor 
cavalry.* 

On  the  3d  of  October,  General  Reynolds  with  a  force  of 

*  Pollard,  First  Year  of  tlie  War,  p.  172. 


GENERAL    ROBERT   EDMUND  LEE.  4:9 

about  five  thousand  strong,  taking  the  opportunity  of  Lee's  ab 
sence  in  the  Kanawha,  suddenly  came  down  upon  the  Con 
federate  troops  at  Cheat  Mountain,  but  was  repulsed. 

With  reference  to  the  inability  of  General  Lee  to  pursue 
Rosecrans  the  following  letter  from  Richmond,  under  date  of 
October  22d,  gives  some  explanation.  It  says  :  "  A  gentleman 
of  this  city,  occupying  a  high  position  in  the  Government,  has 
just  reached  Richmond  from  General  Lee's  headquarters.  The 
enemy,  under  Rosecrans,  was  in  full  retreat  toward  the  Ohio; 
but  pursuit  was  impossible.  The  roads  were  in  the  most  awful 
condition.  Dead  horses  arid  mules  that  had  perished  in  their 
tracks,  broken  wagons,  and  abandoned  stores,  lined  the  road  to 
Lewisburg.  There  was  no  such  tiling  as  getting  a  team  or 
wagon  through  uninjured.  The  road  beyond  Big  Sewell  was, 
if  any  thing,  worse  than  on  this  side  of  it/' 

Meanwhile,  as  the  approaching  rigors  of  winter  in  the  moun 
tains  gave  warning  of  the  speedy  termination  of  further  active 
operations  in  that  region,  General  Lee  was  recalled,  and  soon 
afterwards  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  coast  defences  of 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia. 

The  services  of  General  Lee,  in  this  department,  were  ad 
mitted  to  have  been  very  valuable,  though  not  of  that  active 
nature  which  afterwards  made  his  name  so  famous  and  so  re 
vered.  His  duties  consisted  principally  in  superintending  the 
fortifications  along  the  coast,  and  exercising  his  engineering 
skill  in  making  them  more  secure.  On  the  30th  of  December, 
in  company  with  his  staff,  he  visited  the  military  district  of 
Brigadier-general  Evans,  and  made  important  observations  in 
that  quarter.  Several  additional  troops  were  forwarded  from 
Richmond  to  them,  and  every  effort  made  to  resist  the  at 
tempts  of  the  enemy  to  invade  the  land.  In  the  latter  part  of 
February,  1862,  it  was  much  desired  by  many  members  in  the 
Southern  Congress,  that  General  Lee  should  be  appointed 
Secretary  of  War,  but  this  was  overruled,  though,  afterwards, 
he  was  virtually  acting  as  such.  Meanwhile,  he  had  got  the 
army  in  South  Carolina  into  a  very  high  state  of  efficiency. 
His  district  was  placed  in  an  admirable  state  of  defence,  and, 
in  commenting  upon  him,  the  Southern  papers  remarked,  that 
"the  time  would  yet  come  when  his  superior  abilities  would 
be  vindicated,  both  to  his  own  renown,  and  the  glory  of  his 

4 


50  SOUTHERN    GEXEKALS. 

country."  At  Charleston,  where  he  was  in  command,  on  the 
28th  of  February,  every  confidence  was  placed  in  his  power 
to  defend  the  city  against  any  force  of  the  enemy,  if  the  people 
themselves  only  helped  him  aright.  But  in  a  few  days  after 
wards,  he  was  summoned  by  President  Davis  to  Richmond, 
and  after  various  delays  and  difficulties  between  parties  acting 
from  jealous  motives,  he  was  appointed  to  the  newly  formed 
office  of  commanding  general  of  the  forces. 

It  was  at  this  time  the  valuable  services  of  General  Lee 
began  to  be  rightly  understood.  Richmond  and  Virginia 
were  both  in  a  state  of  great  agitation  in  the  public  mind, 
owing  to  the  advance  of  the  Northern  army  towards  the  capi 
tal.  While  the  foe  was  at  a  distance,  the  people  flattered 
themselves  that  success  would  yet  attend  the  movements  of 
their  leaders ;  but,  the  moment  that  foe — a  power,  be  it  re 
membered,  that,  only  fourteen  months  previous,  had  been 
acknowledged  as  the  sovereign  authority  in  the  land — ap 
proached  the  portals  of  their  doors,  tremor  seized  them.  Dis- 
aste/s,  also,  in  the  West,  had  tended  to  depress  their  minds, 
and  doubts  began  to  arise  as  to  the  wisdom  and  policy  of  the 
course  then  pursued.  McClellan,  with  a  large  army,  had 
already  commenced  a  march  along  the  Peninsula  from  York- 
town,  which,  with  Williamsburg,  the  Southern  forces  had 
been  compelled  to  abandon,  while  McDowell,  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  State,  was  prepared  to  join  him.  Would  Rich 
mond  be  the  next  city  to  be  yielded  ?  Would  the  Confederate 
Executive  desert  them  by  retreating  further  inland,  and  leave 
them  to  their  fate?  Was  President  Davis,  after  all,  the  man 
to  meet  such  an  emergency  as  this?  Were  the  generals,  then 
at  the  head  of  a  fine  and  powerful  army  assembling  around 
Richmond,  and,  a  part  of  it,  holding  in  check  the  Union  forces 
in  the  North,  sufficiently  capable  of  standing  against  the 
military  chiefs — McClellan,  in  particular — opposed  to  them  ? 
These  were  serious  questions,  and  questions,  too,  that  were 
openly  discussed,  even  in  their  Senate.  True,  Richmond  had 
been  placed  in  a  good  position  of  defence  ;  and  J.  E.  Johnston, 
who  commanded  the  army,  was  a  man  of  acknowledged  ability 
and  skill.  Still  there  wras  perplexity  and  doubt,  as  there  ever 
will  be  where  men  have  taken  a  bold  step  in  opposition  to  a 
long-established  constituted  authority,  and,  at  length,  find 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  51 

that  authority  at  their  doors,  menacingly  calling  them  to  ac 
count  for  what  they  have  done. 

What  the  state  of  the  capital  was  at  this  important  moment, 
when,  had  not  circumstances  with  which  we  have  nothing 
now  to  do  prevented  him,  McClellan  could  soon  have  had 
Richmond  in  his  power,  may  be  gathered  from  the  following 
brief  statement  of  facts :  On  the  14th  of  May,  the  General 
Assembly  of  Virginia,  passed  a  resolution  expressing  a  desire 
that  the  capital  should  be  defended  to  the  last  extremity,  "  if 
such  defence  be  in  accordance  with  the  views  of  the  President/' 
That  such  was  doubtful,  was  to  be  inferred  from  seeing  many 
large  boxes  on  the  side-walks,  in  front  of  the  various  official 
departments,  labelled  "  Lynchburg,"  as  if  ready  for  departure 
thither.  Iron  safes,  and  valuable  property  were  consequently 
moved  away  by  timid  persons ;  and,  not  a  few  began  to  con 
vert  every  thing  into  cash  at  ruinous  rates  of  discount,  some 
times  paying  four  hundred  dollars  in  paper  for  one  hundred 
dollars  in  cash,  while  others -changed  goods  into  tobacco,  which 
they  stowed  away  in  cellars.  Fortunately,  some  relief  to  the 
agitated  mind  of  the  people  was  given,  when,  in  response  to 
the  above  resolution,  and,  on  a  personal  interview  with  the 
President,  Governor  Letcher  was  assured  that  "  it  would  be 
the  effort  of  Mr.  Davis'  life  to  defend  the  soil  of  Virginia,  and 
to  cover  her  capital ;"  and,  moreover,  "  he  had  never  enter 
tained  the  thought  of  withdrawing  the  army.  If,  in  the  course 
of  events,  the  capital  should  fall, — the  necessity  of  which  he 
<jid  not  see  or  anticipate, — that  would  be  no  reason  for  with 
drawing  the  army  from  Virginia.  The  war  could  still  be  suc 
cessfully  maintained  on  Virginia  soil  for  twenty  years." 

Thus  reassured,  a  popular  outburst  of  feeling  followed. 
The  people  swore  to  defend  their  capital  with  the  last  drop  of 
their  blood.  The  Governor,  in  warm  language,  echoed  this 
sentiment,  and  called  upon  all  persons  to  unite  in  rallying  to 
the  rescue.  The  Mayor,  Joseph  Mayo — a  des-cendant  of  the 
founder  of  the  city — said  it  should  never  be  surrendered  by 
ftim,  for  he  would  sooner  die  ;  and  if  any  persons  wished  Rich 
mond  to  be  abandoned,  they  must  elect  another  mayor  in  his 
place.  The  press  advocated,  rather  the  total  destruction  of  the 
city  than  its  surrender.*  "  To  lose  it  was  to  lose  Virginia  ; 

*  Cook's  Siege  of  Richmond,  p.  106. 


52  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

and  to  lose  Virginia  was  to  lose  the  key  of  the  Southern  Con 
federacy.  Better  fall  in  her  streets  ;  for  such  would  be  bliss, 
in  comparison  with  that  of  basely  yielding.  The  loss  of  Rich 
mond  would  sound  in  Europe  like  the  loss  of  Paris  or  London, 
and  the  moral  eifect  would  scarcely  be  less." 

Thus,  then,  the  determination  to  fight  to  the  last,  was  made 
manifest,  and  the  fears  of  the  people  were  somewhat  allayed. 
But  still  there  was  cause  for  great  anxiety.  The  Union  forces 
by  this  time  (the  end  of  May)  had  vigorously  pushed  forward 
advances  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  capital,  and  the  right  of 
their  line  was  only  four  miles  distant  from  it — their  left  about 
seven  miles.  This  made  it  imperative  on  the  part  of  the  Gov 
ernment,  to  adopt  every  measure  for  preventing  a  nearer  ap 
proach,  and  to  secure  the  safety  of  Richmond  ;  and  now,  in 
this  trying  time,  and  in  the  midst  of  all  this  agitation  and  ex 
citement,  the  calm  mind,  smiling,  though  ever  thoughtful  coun 
tenance,  and  kindly  tones  of  General  Lee,  came  forward  to  give 
strength  and  courage  to  the  feeble  and  the  drooping.  His 
great  engineering  skill  had  already  done  much  towards  sur 
rounding  the  capital  with  defences.  The  earthworks  designed 
by  him  around  it  were  of  considerable  magnitude,  and  were 
constructed  in  different  shape,  to  suit  the  conformation  of  the 
ground.  They  swept  all  the  roads,  crowned  every  hillock,  and 
mounds  of  red  earth  could  be  seen,  in  striking  contrast  with 
the  rich,  green  aspect  of  the  landscape.  Redoubts,  rifle-pits, 
casemate-batteries,  horn  works,  and  enfilading  batteries,  were 
visible  in  great  number,  in  and  out  of  the  woods,  in  all  direc 
tions.  Some  were  mounted  with  heavy  siege  pieces,  of  various 
calibre,  but  the  majority  were  intended  for  field-guns.  Heavy 
ordnance  was  scarce,  and  home-made  cannon  often  proved 
worthless  and  brittle,  in  many  instances  killing  those  who  put 
them  to  the  proof.  Strong  works  had  also  been  hastily  erected 
and  mounted  at  Drury's  Bluff;  and  the  immense  raft  on  the 
river  was  considered  impregnable.  Several  large  rifle  pieces 
were  manned  by  the  crew  of  the  late  Merrimac,  while  the  banks 
and  woods  swarmed  with  sharpshooters^  and  a  number  of  rifled 
field-batteries  were  ready,  with  supports,  to  the  rear.  < 

Meanwhile  General  Lee  himself  was  not  unmindful  of  the 
serious  aspect  of  affairs.  Should  Richmond  be  laid  siege  to, 
the  wives  and  families  of  those  engaged  in  conflict  would  be 


GENERAL  ROBERT  EDMUND  LEE.  53 

better  away,  and  General  Lee  seems  to  have  previously  sent  his 
wife  to  the  family  seat  called  the  White  House.  This  celebrated 
mansion  was,  to  a  certain  degree,  looked  upon  as  sacred  by 
both  the  North  and  the  South,  on  account  of  its  connection, 
with  Washington,  through  his  wife,  who,  while  living  there, 
as  the  widow  of  Mr.  Custis,  had  been  visited  by  the  "Father 
of  his  Country"  before  marrying  her.  It  came  into  the  posses 
sion  of  General  Lee  when  he  married,  and  had  we  space,  sev 
eral  interesting  incidents  belonging  to  the  place  could  here  be 
given.  One  only,  as  immediately  referring  to  the  subject  of 
our  memoir,  may,  however,  be  recorded. 

The  White  House,  known  as  such  at  this  time,  was  not  the 
original,  but  one  built  upon  the  site  of  that  where  Mrs.  Custis 
had  lived.  It  was  in  the  form  of  a  centre  building  and  wings, 
its  entire  front  being  about  forty  feet,  and  its  depth  twenty, 
plainly  built,  two  stories  high,  with  a  peaked  roof,  and  porches. 
Inside  there  were  main  halls,  and  a  staircase  occupying  the 
centre,  with  a  room  on  each  floor  in  each  wing.*  Two  attics 
were  under  the  roof,  and  the  whole  structure  was  of  frame. 
Such  a  building  could  have  been  erected  in  the  North  for 
about  fifteen  hundred  dollars. f  The  grounds  around  the  house 
were  simply  a  grass  field,  in  which  grew  several  trees.  The 
house  was  about  fifty  yards  back  of  the  Pamunkey  River,  and 
some  twenty-five  miles  northeast  of  Richmond.  The  negro 
huts  and  garden  were  on  the  bank  of  the  stream  below. 
Wrhen  General  Stoneman's  troops  (the  advance  of  McClellan's 
army  en  route  to  Richmond,  from  Williamsburg)  occupied 
White  House  on  the  evening  of  May  10th,  the  guard  placed 
to  protect 'the  mansion  found  a  paper  pinned  to  the  wall  of  the 
main  corridor,  on  which  was  written,  in  a  lady's  hand,  the  fol 
lowing  words : 

"  Northern  soldiers  who  profess  to  reverence  Washington, 
forbear  to  desecrate  the  home  of  his  first  married  life,  the 
property  of  his  wife,  now  owned  by  her  descendants. 

"  A  GRAND-DAUGHTER  OF  MRS.  WASHINGTON." 

This  was  signed  by  Mrs.  Robert  E.  Lee,  and  below  it,  upon 
the  wall,  one  of  the  guards  wrote  an  answer  : — 

*  Cook,  p.  169.  f  See  McClellan's  official  correspondence. 


54:  SOUTHER X    GENERALS. 

"  A  northern  officer  has  protected  your  property,  in  sight  of 
the  enemy,  and  at  the  request  of  your  overseer." 

About  a  fortnight  afterwards,  the  advance  forces  having 
moved  nearer  Richmond,  found,  in  a  house,  distant  seven  miles 
from  the  capital,  the  family  of  General  Lee,  consisting  of  his 
wife,  her  daughter-in-law,  the  wife  of  Colonel  Lee,  of  the  Kent 
Cavalry,  and  two  nieces.  Probably  they  had  moved  there  from 
the  White  House,  when  finding  it  was  to  be  occupied  by  the 
Northern  forces.  But  they  were  now  again  surrounded,  and 
placed  under  guard  of  Union  soldiers.  A  party  had  been  sent 
to  search  the  house,  with  a  view  of  securing  some  valuable 
papers,  supposed  to  be  secreted  there.  Finding  nothing,  they 
were  about  to  depart,  when  Mrs.  Lee  handed  a  note  to  the 
officer  in  charge.  This  note  was  directed  to  the  command 
ing  officer  of  the  division,  with  the  request  that  it  should  be 
handed  to  him  in  person.  It  was  delivered  as  required,  and 
was  found  to  be  as  follows  : 

"  To  THE  GENERAL  IN  COMMAND, — Sir,  I  have  patiently  and 
humbly  submitted  to  the  search  of  my  house,  by  men  under 
your  command,  who  are  satisfied  that  there  is  nothing  here  that 
they  want.  All  the  plate  and  other  valuables  have  long  since 
been  removed  to  Richmond,  and  are  now  beyond  the  reach  of 
any  northern  marauders  who  may  wish  for  their  possession. 
"WiFE  OF  ROBERT  LEE,  GENERAL  C.  S.  A." 

The  Union  forces  had  now  been  in  position  around  Rich 
mond  about  a  month,  and  after  various  skirmishes  Hanover 
Court-house  had  been  captured  by  them  on  the  28th  of  May. 
This,  with  other  successes  to  the  North,  made  the  Confederates 
again  very  dissatisfied,  and  the  Richmond  papers  were  once 
more  clamorous.  The  Enquirer  said  : 

"We  are  now  looking  to  General  Johnston  with  great  inter 
est,  and  not  without  some  solicitude The  time  has  come 

when  retreat  is  no  longer  strategy,  but  disaster.  It  must, 
therefore,  give  place  to  battle.  The  temper  of  the  army  is 
opposed  to  retreat.  The  men  are  weary  of  toilsome  marches, 
and  almost  clamor  to  be  led  against  the  enemy.  .  .  .  The  cam 
paign  has  ripened  for  the  battle,  and  a  battle  is  at  hand." 

It  was  even  so  as  desired.  Almost  before  the  printer's  ink 
was  dry,  the  sound  of  a  general  engagement  was  heard.  On 


GENERAL    EGBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  55 

the  31st  of  May,  General  Johnston  attacked  the  Union  forces 
under  General  Casey,  and  drove  them  back ;  but  his  success 
was  checked  afterwards  by  fresli  troops  from  McClellan, 
corning  to  the  rescue.  Johnston  himself  received  a  severe 
wound  in  the  groin,  and  was  conveyed  from  the  field,  at  that 
time  with  little  hopes  of  recovery.  Longstreet  then  for  the 
moment  took  command ;  but,  on  renewing  the  battle  next 
day,  the  Xorth  maintained  their  ground,  and  made  any  advan 
tage  to  the  South  exceedingly  doubtful. 

During  the  engagement,  which  has  been  termed  the  Battle 
of  Seven  Pines,  there  was  a  violent  rain  and  thunder  storm, 
and  the  Chickahominy  river  was  greatly  flooded,  some  of  the 
bridges  having  been  washed  away.  The  city  of  Richmond, 
during  the  night,  was  also  placed  in  total  darkness,  owing  to 
the  gas-works  becoming  flooded.  All  this,  however,  did  not 
prevent  renewed  eagerness  for  a  continuance  of  the  fight,  and 
now,  at  last,  the  President  yielded  to  the  common  desire,  by 
appointing  General  Lee,  on  the  3d  of  June,  to  the  command- 
in-chief  of  the  army.  On  assuming  his  position,  he  issued  an 
address  to  the  army,  which  was  read  at  the  head  of  the  regi 
ments.  Its  sentiments  created  the  liveliest  enthusiasm.  The 
address  informed  them,  in  a  very  few  words,  that  the  army 
had  made  its  last  retreat,  and  that  henceforth  every  man's 
watchword  must  be  "  Victory  or  Death!"  The  response  was 
cheers  from  all  the  regiments. 


CHAPTER  IY. 

Lee's  Plan  of  Operations. — General  Stuart's  Cavalry  Raid  around  McClellan's 
army. — General  Jackson's  arrival  from  the  Shenandoah  Valley. — Battle  of  Meehun- 
icsville. — Lee's  Headquarters  at  Hogan's  House. — Personal  Description  of  Lee  and 
his  Generals. — Battle  of  Gaines'  Mills. — General  Cobb's  gallant  Charge. — Member 
and  the  Irish  Brigade. — Their  Heroic  Defence. — Battles  of  the  Chickahominy,  White 
Oak  Swamp,  and  Malvern  Hill. — Tribute  to  McClellan. — Richmond  Relieved. — De 
parture  of  the  Federal  Army. — Pope's  Operations. — Battle  of  Cedar  Mountain. — 
Second  Battle  of  Bull  Run. — Lee's  Report. — Invasion  of  Maryland. — Capture  of  Har 
per's  Ferry. — Battles  of  South  Mountain  and  Antietam. — Retreat  of  the  Confederates. 
— Stuart's  Raid  into  Maryland. — Movements  of  the  Federals. — McClellan  Relieved 
by  Burnside. — Rapid  March  of  the  Confederates  to  the  Rappaliannock. — Battle  of 
Fredericksburg. — Retreat  of  Burnside. 

It  was  now  that  an  entirely  new  policy  in  the  Confederate 
military  affairs  was  adopted.  General  Lee  had,  for  some  time 
past,  been  virtually  Secretary  of  War,  though  General  Ran 
dolph  bore  that  title,  and  he  now  was  able  to  carry  out  the 
whole  of  his  plans  in  reference  to  army  movements.  At  a 
glance,  he  perceived  that  the  siege  of  Richmond  could  not  be 
raised  without  beating  the  enemy  out  of  their  formidable 
works  in  which  they  had  intrenched  themselves,  and  he  im 
mediately  set  about  devising  means  to  accomplish  it.  To 
attack  their  intrench  men  ts  merely  in  front,  he  saw  was  not 
only  a  hopeless  undertaking,  but  was  the  thing  above  all  others 
that  they  would  naturally  desire.  He  saw  that  a  strong  force 
must  be  brought  from  without,  to  operate  upon  the  flank  and 
rear  of  the  enemy,  and  to  turn  his  formidable  works,  in  co 
operation  with  an  attack  in  front  from  the  direction  of  the  city. 
He  therefore  determined  to  bring  Jackson  down  upon  the  left 
flank  of  the  Union  forces.  To  do  this,  great  caution  was 
necessary  so  as  not  to  excite  the  enemy's  suspicion.  To  that 
end,  powerful  reinforcements  were  sent  to  him  with  a  great 
appearance  of  mystery,  and  it  began  to  be  whispered  (that 
such  might  reach  McClellan's  ears),  that  he  was  to  invade 
Maryland  by  way  of  Harper's  Ferry,  and  strike  a  blow  directly 
at  Washington. 

Meanwhile,  General  Lee  strengthened  anew  the  fortifications 
around  Richmond,  in  order  that  he  might  be  able  to  spare  as 
many  men  as  possible  from  his  right  and  centre,  to  operate 


GENERAL    EGBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  57 

upon  his  left.  He  was  now  seen  on  horseback  more  frequently, 
and  scarcely  a  day  passed  without  his  being  met  ambling  along 
the  roads,  and  in  all  kinds  of  out-of-the-way  places.  Though 
naturally  quiet,  thoughtful,  and  polite,  the  responsibility  rest 
ing  on  him  rendered  his  deportment  even  more  so  than  usual, 
and  to  strangers,  his  manner  was  so,  calm  and  placid,  his  dress 
so  humble,  and  his  gait  so  slow  and  unofficial,  that  he  could 
not  have  been  recognized  as  one  whose  genius  and  resources 
commanded  the  unbounded  confidence  and  hopes  of  the  entire 
Confederacy.  Brigadiers,  with  couriers  and  orderlies  at  their 
heels,  dashing  to  and  fro,  would  have  presented  a  much  more 
impressive  idea  of  importance  and  dignity,  than  the  meek, 
gray-headed  gentleman  passing  along  without  the  distinctive 
color  or  uniform,  or  blazing  stars  on  his  shoulder-straps. 

With  reference  to  General  Lee's  important  services  at  this 
period,  when  it  is  very  evident  that  immediately  following 
upon  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines,  Richmond  could  have  been 
captured,  even  if,  as  the  people  said,  all  its  inhabitants  shed 
their  blood  in  its  defence,  a  writer  observes : 

"The  shell  which  wounded  General  Johnston  was  the  sad 
dest  shot  for  Federal  success  that  had  been  fired  during  the 
war.  It  changed  the  entire  Southern  tactics.  It  removed 
the  first  commander  of  the  Confederate  army,  and  'replaced 
him  by  a  most  eminent  leader,  General  Robert  E.  Lee,'  who 
brought  to  the  field  'skilful  generalship,  excellent  plans,  and 
good  discipline.'  Before  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  the  Southern 
troops  were  sickly,  half  fed  and  clothed,  and  had  not  a  full 
heart  for  the  work.  On  the  1st  of  June,  General  Lee  com 
menced  his  efforts  to  reorganize  the  army.  He  removed  their 
camps  from  the  swamps,  and  placed  them  in  healthy  situations. 
He  procured  supplies  of  wholesome  provisions,  particularly 
fresh  beef  and  bread.  He  redressed  many  wrongs  the  men 
had  suffered,  attentively  listening  to  their  just  complaints,  and 
he  soon  found  his  efforts  crowned  with  success.  Mutiny  and 
dissatisfaction  almost  universally  disappeared.  There  were 
no  more  cries  for  food,  no  more  outcries  against  oppression. 
The  troops  improved  in  appearance,  cadaverous  looks  became 
rare  among  prisoners.  The  discipline  became  better:  they 
went  to  battle  with  shouts,  and  without  being  urged,  and, 
when  in  it,  fought  like  tigers.  A  more  marked  change  for  the 


58  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

better  never  was  made  in  any  body  of  men  than  that  wrought 
in  his  army  by  General  Lee." 

The  preparations  in  progress  made  it  evident  to  all,  that 
operations  would  soon  recommence  on  a  scale  surpassing  any 
thing  hitherto  attempted.  Frequent  reconnoissances  were  made 
towards  the  interior,  to  ascertain  the  enemy's  strength  and  po 
sition  on  their  left  wing.  McClellan  never  opposed  these 
movements,  being  probably  ignorant  of  them,  as  they  were 
made  principally  at  night-time,  or  in  unpropitious  weather. 
The  Confederate  Generals  would  sally  forth  on  a  march  of  ten 
miles,  and  return,  almost  without  the  knowledge  of  the  main 
body  of  the  army. 

But  the  most  important  and  extraordinary  reconnoissance 
among  these,  was  that  dashing  raid  of  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  through 
and  around  McClellan's  army,  as  far  as  the  Parnunkey  river, 
and  back.  Accompanied  by  Colonel  Fitz  Hugh  Lee,  the  son  of 
General  Lee,  and  another  Colonel  Lee,  his  nephew.  This  bold 
cavalry  officer  succeeded  in  accomplishing  his  purpose,  and  re 
turned  with  valuable  information. 

By  these  movements  Lee  had  satisfied  himself  of  McClellan's 
true  position  ;  and,  in  a  general  order,  he  felt  bound  to  express 
"his  admiration  of  the  courage  and  skill  so  conspicuously  ex 
hibited  throughout  by  Brigadier-general  Stuart  and  the  officers 
and  men  under  his  command."  In  addition  to  the  officers, 
General  Lee  deemed  it  but  just,  to  specially  name  some  of  the 
privates  who  had  been  mentioned  by  their  several  commanders 
as  particularly  deserving  commendation. 

At  length,  on  the  25th  of  June,  Jackson,  in  pursuance  of  his 
orders,  reached  Ashland,  and  Lee  prepared  for  the  grand  at 
tack  he  had  contemplated  upon  the  enemy. 

On  Thursday,  June  26th,  Jackson  began  his  march  from 
Ashland,  at  3  A.  M.,  and  passed  down  the  country  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Chickahominy.  He  then  quickly  came  upon  the 
advanced  guard  of  the  Union  forces,  driving  them  in,  and  con 
tinuing  his  march  towards  Mechanicsville.  His  force  was  in 
three  columns,  himself  on  the  left,  General  Branch  in  the 
centre,  and  General  A.  P.  Hill  on  the  right,  next  the  river. 
About  5  P.  M.,  Hill  assaulted  Mechanicsville,  where  the  enemy 
was  strongly  posted,  and  in  two  and  a  half  hours  carried  their 
batteries.  But  the  victory  was  not  complete,  for,  at  Ellison's 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND   LEE.  59 

Mills,  about  a  mile  from  Mechanicsville,  and  on  the  right  of 
his  line,  the  Union  forces  were  in  great  strength,  defended  by 
sixteen  pieces  of  cannon.  Feeling  the  importance  of  settling 
this  affair  as  soon  as  possible,  General  Lee  now  gave  orders  to 
storm  this  battery.  Several  attempts  were  made  to  carry  it ; 
but  these  proving,  for  the  time,  abortive,  the  troops  desisted  at 
ten  o'clock,  and  during  the  night  the  enemy,  having  burned 
his  platforms,  withdrew  a  portion  of  his  force. 

That  night,  however,  was  not  to  give  rest  to  either  party  of 
the  combatants.  Ambulances,  carriages,  and  litters  were  busy 
in  collecting  and  conveying  the  wounded  to  Richmond ; 
prisoners  were  collected,  spoil  secured,  and  various  divisions 
put  in  proper  order  and  position  for  the  next  day's  operations. 
The  tramp  of  men  was  incessant;  artillery  and  ammunition- 
wagons  toiled  along;  stragglers  were  brought  in;  captured 
cannon  and  stores  sent  to  the  rear  ;  and  from  Brook  Church 
turnpike  to  Mechanicsville,  a  distance  of  several  miles,  lights 
were  flitting  in  fields  and  woods,  searching  for  the  wounded, 
or  burying  the  dead.  Amidst  all  this  scene  of  excitement 
General  Lee  had  to  be  calm,  and  fully  prepared  in  his  mind  to 
direct  every  movement.  Positions  had  to  be  taken,  and  orders 
given  to  the  several  corps  and  division  commanders  as  they 
came  in.  At  midnight  Featherstone  and  Pryor  were  sent  up 
to  Beaver  Dam  Creek,  and  Gregg  towards  Ellison's  Mills. 
Featherstone  reached  his  post  about  4  A.  M.,  and  found  the 
enemy  on  the  alert.  The  twilight  had  just  begun  to  appear, 
and  in  that  dim  shadowing  of  the  coming  day,  his  men  boldly 
advanced  to  the  conflict.  Pryors  division  ably  seconded  him  ; 
and  both  rushed  forward,  with  the  wild  yells  peculiar  to  Louisi 
ana  soldiers.  Wilcox  now  came  on  the  scene,  with  reinforce 
ments  of  Alabamians,  and  then  the  sight  was  awfully  grand. 
Men  were  standing  on  the  parapets  of  batteries,  fighting  in 
every  conceivable  attitude,  and  as  the  sun  brilliantly  rose  over 
the  tree-tops,  illumining  the  scene,  the  semicircular  line  of 
tight,  with  its  streams  of  fire,  bursting  of  caissons,  shouts, 
yells,  and  charging  on  the  right  and  left — the  centre  occupied 
by  a  strong  redoubt,  crowds  of  combatants  rushing  in  and  out, 
with  a  sea  of  heads  swaying  to  and  fro  round  the  banners 
floating  on  the  wall — all  was  soul-stirring,  sublime,  and  horrible  ! 
Finally,  the  Southern  troops  gained  the  point,  and  Wilcox 


60  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

again  advanced,  while  Featherstone  and  Pryor  rested  awhile 
on  the  spot, 

Meantime  General  Gregg  had  been  as  successful  at  Ellison's 
Mills,  which  was  taken  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  and  thus 
both  of  the  enemy's  advance  posts — strong  impediments  in  the 
way  of  the  Confederate  movements — were  removed. 

It  was  now  past  8  A.  M.,  arid  Lee  felt  the  vast  importance  of 
not  losing  an  hour  of  time.  He  had  received  information,  to 
be  relied  upon,  that  McDowell,  who  was  to  have  supported 
McClellan,  was  still  inactive,  but  how  long  he  might  remain 
so  was  very  uncertain.  McClellan  himself,  however,  was  not 
to  be  despised.  Lee  knew  him  well  :  they  had  been  com 
panions  in  arms ;  and  the  strategy  of  both  was  familiar  to  each 
other.  Moreover,  his  army  was  a  splendid  one,  and  a  brave, 
determined  body  of  men,  well  posted  behind  various  strong 
intrenchments.  Accordingly,  a  general  advance  must  imme 
diately  take  place  ;  and  thus,  by  nine  o'clock,  the  several  di 
visions  of  the  Confederate  forces  were  approaching  the  ene 
my,  towards  Games'  Mills,  the  commander-in-chief  accom 
panying  them  ;  and,  on  arriving,  at  once  formed  them  in  line 
of  battle. 

General  Lee's  headquarters  were  now  at  Hogan's  House,  a 
place  about  six  miles  and  a  half  to  the  northeast  of  Richmond. 
It  was  a  square  mansion  of  frame,  two  stories  high  ;  and  at 
about  two  hundred  yards  from  it,  in  front,  on  a  lane  leading 
out  to  the  road,  was  an  enormous  oak,  of  faultless  beauty. 
Almost  a  perfect  sphere,  it  was  covered  with  foliage  without 
break  or  imperfection.  It  was  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes,  and 
many  of  the  Union  officers  had  expressed  themselves  not  only 
in  terms  of  admiration,  but  with  a  desire  that  it  could  have 
been  conveyed  to  the  !N"orth.  This  house,  at  first,  was  used 
by  the  Federal  generals  as  headquarters,  but,  on  the  retreat  of 
the  Union  Army,  General  Lee,  accompanied  by  Longstreet, 
fixed  his  post  there.  In  an  adjoining  orchard,  a  fine  field-work 
had  been  abandoned  by  the  northern  soldiers,  and  several 
other  important  structures  nearer  the  river.  The  building  was 
badly  shattered  by  shot  and  shell  from  the  Confederates  during 
the  previous  fights,  and  was  very  shaky.  In  the  upper  rooms 
were  large  stains  of  blood,  near  where  a  shell  had  entered  ; 
and  the  outhouses  bore  every  appearance  of  having  been  used 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  61 

for  hospitals,  while  numerous  mounds  of  earth  spoke  of  sep 
ulture. 

As  soon  as  the  Confederate  chief  took  possession,  the  whole 
yard  and  orchard  was  occupied  by  general  officers,  aids, 
couriers,  and  prisoners.  Says  an  eye-witness,  Lee  sat  in  the 
south  portico,  absorbed  in  thought.  Dressed  in  a  dark  blue 
uniform,  buttoned  to  the  throat,  his  line,  calm,  open  counte 
nance  and  gray  hair  would  have  tempted  an  artist  to  sketch 
him  in  this  thoughtful  attitude.  Longstreet  sat  in  an  old 
garden-chair,  at  the  foot  of  the  steps,  under  shady  trees, 
busily  engaged  in  disposing  of  a  bunch  of  sandwiches.  With 
his  feet  thrown  against  a  tree,  he  presented  a  true  type  of  the 
hardy  campaigner  ;  his  once  gray  uniform  had  changed  to 
brown,  and  many  a  button  was  missing;  his  riding-boots  were 
dusty  and  worn  ;  but  his  pistols  and  sabre  had  a  bright  polish, 
by  his  side,  while  his  charger  stood  near,  anxiously  looking 
at  him,  as  if  expecting  a  morsel  of  bread  and  meat. 

Maxcy  Gregg  was  sitting  on  his  horse  in  the  shade,  convers 
ing  with  a  few  about  the  affair  at  Ellison's  Mills.  Wilcox, 
Pry  or  and  Featherstone  were  also  present,  talking  freely  and 
gaily,  as  if  about  to  start  on  some  pleasant  picnic.  Some 
other  generals  likewise  surrounded  the  commander-in-chief, 
and  a  few  civilians,  principally  landowners  in  the  neighbor 
hood,  who  had  come  to  see  the  havoc  made  during  the  past 
engagements. 

Presently  General  Gregg  was  called,  arid  leaning  his  head 
through  a  window,  conversed  with  General  Lee.  The  sub 
stance  of  the  communication  he  received  was  brief,  and  imme 
diately  afterwards  he  rode  away  to  take  post  in  a  quarter 
assigned  him.  Wilcox,  Featherstone,  and  Pryor  then  received 
orders,  and  rode  off  at  a  gallop.  The  next  moment  a  courier 
rode  up,  and  delivered  some  papers  to  General  Lee,  he  calmly 
perusing  them.  The  General  then  mounted,  and,  with  Long- 
street  and  their  staffs,  proceeded  to  New  Coal  Harbor,  three 
miles  distant,  where  it  was  now  understood  Jackson's  right 
wing  had  already  arrived. 

The  position  of  the  Union  army  was  such  as  showed  great 
forethought,  talent,  and  coolness  on  the  part  of  General  McClel- 
lan.  With  one  portion  of  his  troops  he  had  crossed  to  tfce 
south  side  of  the  Chickahominy,  and  there  confronted  Magru- 


62  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

der,  who  was  in  command  of  the  Confederate  right,  while, 
with  the  larger  portion  of  his  force,  he  had  taken  up  a  position 
more  to  the  rear  and  nearer  the  railroad,  where  he  was  resolved 
to  accept  battle.  The  different  divisions  of  his  army  took  their 
positions  with  admirable  precision,  and  awaited  the  onset  with 
firmness. 

On  the  side  of  the  Confederates,  their  forces  were  thus 
arranged  :  D.  P.  Hill,  Anderson,  and  Whiting  formed  the 
centre,  moving  towards  Coal  Harbor;  while  Jackson,  Ambrose 
Hill,  and  Longstreet  formed  the  left,  and  marched  down  along 
the  bank  of  the  river.  Magruder,  as  we  have  said,  command 
ing  the  right  wing,  was,  on  account  of  the  swampy  nature  of 
the  ground  he  occupied,  ordered  to  hold  himself  merely  on 
the  defensive.  General  Wise  had  command  of  the  defences  at 
Fort  Darling,  on  the  James  river. 

The  advance  was  begun  on  Gaines'  Mill  about  one  o'clock, 
p.  M.,  by  Longstreet  moving  forward,  with  skirmishers  thrown 
out,  and  driving  in  the  enemy's  outposts  as  he  proceeded.  The 
divisions  of  Anderson,  A.  P.  Hill,  and  Pickett  co-operated 
with  him,  while  Jackson  had  already  commenced  work  on  the 
extreme  left.  The  attack  now  began  in  fearful  earnest.  "  With 
thundering  hurrahs  the  gallant  masses  rushed  forward  upon  the 
musketry  of  the  foe,  as  though  it  were  a  joy  to  them.  Whole 
ranks  went  down  under  the  terrible  hail,  but  nothing  could 
restrain  their  courage.  The  struggle  was  man  to  man,  eye  to 
eye,  bayonet  to  bayonet ."  The  Union  brigade  of  Meagher, 
composed  chiefly  of  Irishmen,  offered  heroic  resistance.  The 
Confederates  began  to  give  way,  and  at  length  all  orders  and 
encouragements  were  vain — thev  were  falling  back  in  the 

O  ./  O 

greatest  disorder.  At  that  critical  moment,  infuriate,  foaming 
at  the  mouth,  bareheaded,  sabre  in  hand,  appeared  on  the 
field  General  Cobb  at  the  head  of  his  legion,  and  with  him  the 
Nineteenth  ISTorth  Carolina  and  Fourteenth  Virginia  regiments. 
The  attack  was  at  once  renewed,  but  in  vain.  The  Irish  held 
their  position  with  a  determination  and  ferocity  that  called 
forth  the  admiration  of  the  very  officers  opposed  to  them,  and, 
notwithstanding  that  they  had  to  stand  their  ground  without 
other  support,  from  four  until  eight,  p.  M..  they  firmly  resisted 
every  attack.  It  wras  only  when  the  news  came  that  Jackson  was 
upon  them  in  the  rear,  that  the  gallant  defenders  of  Gaines' 


GENERAL   ROBERT   EDMUND    LEE.  63 

Mill — the  Irish  Brigade — retired  before  the  enemy,  and  then 
marched  on  with  streaming  banners  and  rolling  drums,  carry 
ing  with  them  their  baggage  and  wTounded. 

Games'  Mill  had  been  wron,  but  at  a  fearful  slaughter,  and 
when  night  at  last  put  an  end  to  the  horrible  carnage,  it  was 
as  if  the  Deity  had  mercifully  spread  a  pall  over  man's  fero 
cious  doings  in  his  madness,  to  hide  them  from  his  eye  when 
more  calm  and  sane.  Quiet  gradually  returned,  except  where 
the  noise  of  the  preceding  night  was  repeated  in  the  task  of 
attending  to  the  wounded  and  the  dying.  To  use  the  words  of 
a  Prussian  field-officer  of  the  Confederate  army  :  uThe  scene  of 
ruin  was  horrible.  Whole  ranks  of  the  enemy  lay  prone  where 
they  had  stood  at  the  beginning  of  the  battle.  The  number  of 
wounded  was  fearful  too,  and  the  groans  and  imploring  cries 
for  help  that  rose  on  all  sides  had,  in  the  obscurity  of  the  night, 
a  ghastly  effect  that  froze  the  blood  in  one's  veins/'  Upon 
many  battlefields  had  this  officer  been,  in  Italy  and  Hungary, 
yet  "  never  had  his  vision  beheld  such  a  spectacle  of  human 
destruction."'  lie  adds  :  "  It  was  a  most  heartrending:  task  to 

o 

get  the  wounded  into  Richmond.  Many  expired  just  as  succor 
arrived,  and  many  more  received  no  aid  at  all  in  the  darkness 
of  the  night.  Finally,  by  midnight,  the  first  train  of  the  most 
seriously  wounded,  about  two  hundred,  in  sixty  wagons,  was 
taken  to  the  city." 

We  need  not  dwell  upon  the  feelings  and  the  anxieties  that 
must  have  filled  the  breast  of  General  Lee  and  his  several 
commanding  officers.  There  are  moments  when  the  nature  of 
man  rises  above  all  art  and  education,  and  we  very  much  err 
if  such  be  not  the  case  with  the  greater  number  of  those  who 
are  placed  in  command,  even  perhaps  more  so  than  with  those 
who  have  merely  to  obey.  But  no  exterior  emotion  must 
display  itself  on  the  features  of  him  who  has  to  direct  great 
and  important  movements.  Better  he  appear  cold,  passive, 
and  heartless,  than  alarmed,  doubtful,  or  weak.  Thought, 
sensation,  inward  agony,  no  matter  how  great,  must  all  be 
restrained,  that  the  one  object  alone  shall  be  accomplished. 
Thus  was  it  with  General  Lee.  Still  calm,  still  unruffled,  in 
the  midst  of  all  the  excitement,  he  has  been  described  as  just 
the  man  suited  for  the  moment.  There  was,  neither  for  him 
nor  his  officers,  rest  to  be  obtained  until  the  work  was  done. 


64:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

The  gates  of  the  city — the  threshold  of  their  homes — had  been 
menaced  by  a  determined  foe,  and  that  foe  must  be  driven 
back,  no  matter  what  the  cost  to  all  who  had  volunteered  to 
defend  the  capital.  The  blood  that  had  been  freely  offered  to 
save  that  city  and  its  inhabitants,  was  now  flowing  in  streams 
around  the  walls,  while  heaps  of  slain  lay  on  the  ground  never 
to  rise  again.  Yet,  more  blood  must  run  ;  more  human  bodies 
must  be  destroyed,  and  more  terrible  scenes  enacted  ere  it 
could  be  hoped  the  enemy  had  gone.  So  it  was,  and  four  long 
days  more  saw  the  terrible  drama  of  blood  repeated,  until, 
finally,  the  invading  force  was  driven  far  beyond  the  walls, 
and  Richmond  was  free ! 

The  incidents  connected  with  these  battles  around  Richmond 
would  fill  a  large  volume  full  of  heroic  deeds  and  interesting 
detail.  But  we  can  only  touch  upon  the  leading  points.  On 
Saturday,  June  28th,  the  enemy  was  pressed  heavily  on  the 
Chickahominy,  and  General  Jackson  had  succeeded  in  cutting 
off  McClellan's  communication  with  the  base  of  his  supplies 
at  the  White  House.  At  ten  p.  M.,  the  last  of  the  Federal 
army  had  left  Woodbury  bridge,  on  the  Chickahominy,  and 
were  in  full  retreat  towards  Savage  Station,  where,  until  one 
o'clock  that  night,  General  McClellan  had  his  headquarters. 
But  at  that  hour  he  ordered  his  tents  to  be  struck,  and,  with 
his  staff  and  escort,  proceeded  towards  White  Oak  Swamp. 
On  Sunday,  the  29th,  about  two  p.  M.,  the  Confederate  forces 
again  came  upon  the  Union  troops  near  Peach  Orchard  and 
Savage  stations.  The  battle  lasted  until  eleven  at  night ;  and 
resulted  in  the  Federals  again  retreating,  but  with  great  loss 
to  both  sides.  The  same  day  General  Stuart  captured  the 
"White  House,  and  large  supplies  intended  for  McClellan's 
army. 

On  Monday  morning,  June  30th,  Jackson  crossed  the  Chick 
ahominy  in  pursuit  of  the  Federals,  along  the  Williamsburg 
road,  while  Longstreet,  A.  P.  Hill,  and  Magruder,  followed 
them  along  the  Charles  City  road.  Jackson  came  upon  the 
right  of  the  enemy,  after  he  had  burned  the  bridge  over  the 
White  Oak  creek.  A  long  artillery  fight  ensued,  and  the 
Federals  again  fell  back.  On  their  left,  the  battle  raged  with 
great  fury,  and  for  some  time,  towards  evening,  the  Confed 
erates  were  compelled  to  retire,  but,  by  great  exertions,  they 


GEXEEAL   EGBERT    EDMUND   LEE.  65 

were  again  brought  forward,  and  thus  succeeded  in  holding 
their  position  while  McClellan  continued  the  retreat  of  his 
army  to  the  James  river. 

In  this  engagement  of  Monday,  General  Lee  was  on  the  im 
mediate  field  of  action,  personally  encouraging  and  pushing 
forward  his  men,  whenever  showing  symptoms  of  discourage 
ment.  To  his  commanders  of  divisions,  as  was  his  wont,  he 
left  all  movements,  after  having  once  given  them  his  plans, 
but  when  his  presence  was  needed,  he  was  ever  at  hand. 

It  is  also  stated  that  General  McClellan  was  personally  on 
the  battle-ground,  but  there  is  much  dispute  in  the  Northern 
accounts  on  the  subject. 

The  following  morning,  Tuesday,  July  1st,  saw  the  pursuit 
renewed  by  the  Confederate  army,  and  about  three  P.  M.  the 
Federals  were  again  encountered  at  Malvern  Hill.  A  desperate 
battle  ensued,  the  enemy's  gunboats  in  the  river  aiding  in  the 
scene  of  carnage,  by  throwing  in  shell.  Night  came,  and  the 

O  t/  O  C 

battle  slackened,  finally  ceasing  at  dark.  The  carnage  had 
been  frightful,  and  the  Confederate  loss  very  heavy,  with  no 
successful  result,  except  the  empty  one  of  occupying  a  field 
which  had  been  held  by  the  enemy  only  until  his  retreat  was 
safely  accomplished.  Still,  the  foe  had  been  driven  away,  and 
General  Lee,  by  a  series  of  skilful  combinations  in  war  tactics, 
had  forced  McClellan  from  his  strong  intrenchments,  round 
Richmond,  to  a  place  thirty  miles  below,  thus  relieving  all 
fears  for  the  safety  of  the  Southern  capital.  The  siege  had 
been  raised  ;  an  army  of  150,000  men  had  been  pushed  from 
their  strongholds  and  fortifications,  and  put  to  flight;  and  the 
great  moral  effect  of  this  on  the  minds  of  the  people  could  not 
be  otherwise  than  immense.  Still,  such  is  the  extraordinary 
perversity  of  poor  human  nature,  that,  because  such  a  large 
amount  of  success  had  been  achieved,  there  was  grumbling  that 
it  had  not  been  greater.  Lee  and  his  brave  officers  and  men 
had  clone  so  well  in  repelling  the  enemy,  that  it  was  speedily 
a  cause  of  repining  that  they  had  not  done  even  more,  by  com 
pletely  capturing  the  foe.  Yet,  a  little  thoughtful  considera 
tion  would  have  shown  otherwise.  General  Lee,  it  has  been 
well  said,  was,  like  every  general-in-chief,  but  a  workman  on 
a  large  scale,  using  many  different  instruments  in  his  work ; 
and  it  may  happen,  especially  in  new  operations  with  a  por- 

5 


66  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

tion  of  untried  material,  that  all  do  not  fit  and  accord  exactly 
as  planned.  There  was  an  equal  amount  of  mental  and  physi 
cal  opposing  force  on  both  sides,  and  it  is  therefore  to  the 
credit  of  Lee  and  his  brave  army — impelled  by  that  strong 
feeling  which  prompts  men  to  greatest  deeds  in  defence  of 
their  homes — that  they  succeeded  so  well  against  such  a  brave 
and  splendid  force  as  that  which  McClellan  had  under  his 
command.  Nor  let  us  forget  that  chief  himself.  Few  even 
of  his  military  opponents  but  award  to  him  the  highest  praise 
for  the  skill,  spirit,  and  masterly  generalship  he  displayed  in 
this  retreat  through  the  difficult  and  pestilential  swamps  of  the 
Chickahominy ;  and  impartial  persons  competent  to  judge- 
men  of  high  military  rank  and  experience  here  and  abroad— 
speak  of  it  in  the  highest  terms.  What  may  have  been  the 
secret  causes  that  impeded  General  McClellan's  plans  in  every 
thing  he  undertook, — as  he  and  his  friends  assert, — it  is  not 
our  province  to  inquire  into.  It  is  enough  that  we  venture 
this  humble  tribute  to  the  merits  of  a  gallant  chief,  a  brave 
man,  and  a  patient,  forbearing  gentleman,  and  at  the  same 
time  bear  cheerful  testimony  to  the  high  courage  and  daring 
of  his  noble  army. 

The  effect  in  Richmond  produced  by  the  relief  from  this  im 
mediate  presence  of  an  enemy  before  its  doors,  may  be  sur 
mised.  Joy  and  congratulation  were  everywhere  felt,  though 
not  much  outwardly  displayed.  There  was  still  too  much  cause 
for  anxiety,  to  be  overboastful.  But  there  was  a  calm  and 
sober  thankfulness  not  to  be  doubted.  In  the  churches,  prayers 
were  offered  up  in  gratitude  for  deliverance  from  peril,  and  in 
humble  supplications,  that,  if  possible,  further  effusion  of  blood 
might  be  averted.  Elsewhere  it  was  evident,  however,  that 
more  work  had  yet  to  be  done.  The  War  Office  department 
was  particularly  busy,  and  General  Lee  was  constantly  seen 
actively  employed  on  some  new  important  duty.  Where  and 
when  the  next  blow  would  be  struck,  was,  however,  a  secret, 
except  to  himself  and  those  necessarily  in  his  councils. 

About  this  time,  or  rather  on  the  21st  of  July,  General  Lee 
had  occasion  to  communicate  with  General  McClellan,  then  at 
Harrison's  Landing,  on  the  subject  of  citizens  (non-combatants) 
of  the  State  of  Virginia  being  compelled  by  the  United  States 
to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance,  or  be  imprisoned,  when  falling 


GEXKRAL    EGBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  67 

into  the  hands  of  the  Union  forces.  He  complained,  that  some 
had  been  so  imprisoned  at  Fortress  Monroe,  and,  by  order  of 
the  Confederate  Government,  he  was  directed  to  say,  that  if 
such  was  persisted  in,  retaliatory  measures  would  be  adopted. 
President  Davis,  and  the  Adjutant-general  at  Richmond,  also 
wrote  in  a  similar  strain  ;  and,  finally,  not  receiving  a  reply — 
for  General  McClellan  had  referred  the  communications  to 
Washington — Lee  addressed  General  Halleck  on  the  subject. 
After  some  time  replies  came,  but  couched  in  any  thing  but 
satisfactory  terms ;  and  finally,  General  Lee  received  a  letter 
from  General  Halleck,  as  follows  : 

"  Your  two  communications,  of  August  9th.  1862,  and  of  the 
2d  instant,  with  inclosures,  are  received.  As  these  papers  are 
couched  in  language  exceedingly  insulting  to  the  Government 
of  the  United  States.  I  most  respectfully  decline  to  receive 
them.  They  are  returned  herewith." 

Whether  or  no   General  Lee's  language  was  "  insulting  " 

O          O  O' 

those  who  care  to  read  the  correspondence  can  judge. 
Shortly  afterwards,  in  a  letter  to  General  McClellan,  General 
Halleck,  on  the  part  of  the  Government,  disavowed  authorizing 
any  such  measures  as  complained  of. 

Much  of  the  cause  of  this  correspondence  arose  from  certain 
orders  issued  in  July  by  General  Pope  (who  had  assumed 
command  of  the  Federal  forces  in  Northern  Virginia),  to  arrest 
all  disloyal  male  citizens  within  the  Union  lines,  or  within 
reach  of  his  several  divisions;  and,  on  refusing  to  take  the 
oath  of  allegiance,  they  were  to  be  banished  from  their  homes, 
and,  if  found  to  have  returned,  would  be  subject  to  the  ex 
treme  rigor  of  military  law.  Moreover,  "  if  any  person,  hav 
ing  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  as  above  specified,  be  found  to 
have  violated  it,  he  shall  be  shot,  and  his  property  seized  and 
applied  to  public  use."  In  addition  to  this,  there  was  another 
order,  to  hold  under  arrest  prominent  citizens  as  hostages  for 
any  of  the  Union  soldiers  shot  by  roving  bands  of  the  South. 

Now,  we  need  hardly  say,  that  this  caused  a  great  amount 
of  bitterness  on  the  part  of  Southerners  towards  Pope  and  his 
army,  and  it  was  with  something  more  than  ordinary  joy  the 
news  was  finally  received  that  General  Lee  was  on  the  way  to 
attack  him.  This,  however,  did  not  occur  until  after  it  was 
seen  that  McClellan  was  not  in  a  position  to  molest  Eichmond 


DO  SOUTHERN    GENEEALS. 

again  ;  and  yet  it  was  necessary  to  do  it  before  the  three  hun 
dred  thousand  recruits  called  for  by  the  "Washington  Govern 
ment  should  be  brought  into  the  field.  Consequently,  while 
Lee  still  remained  watching  over  the  capital,  Jackson  was  dis 
patched  to  hold  Pope  in  check. 

As  this  was,  evidently,  to  be  an  important  campaign,  it  was 
intrusted  solely  to  General  Lee,  who  directed  and  controlled 
every  movement ;  and,  when  the  Union  forces  finally  evacuated 
the  Peninsula,  hastened,  himself,  in  the  middle  of  August,  to 
the  scene  of  action. 

Meanwhile  Jackson  had  crossed  the  Rapidan,  at  Barnett's 
ford,  in  heavy  force,  after  marching  for  two  days,  and  attacked 
that  portion  of  Pope's  army  stationed  near  Cedar  Mountain, 
under  General  Banks.  The  fight  began  at  about  6  P.  M.,  and 
lasted  nearly  two  hours.  The  contest  was  very  severe  ;  but 
General  Banks  bravely  held  his  position  until  darkness  ended 
the  engagement,  with  great  loss  on  both  sides.  On  the  next 
day,  according  to  well-conceived  plans,  Jackson  rapidly  and 
secretly  withdrew  from  the  Rapidan,  intending,  by  a  flank 
movement  on  Pope's  right,  to  menace  his  rear,  while  General 
Lee  came  up  in  front.  This  was  accomplished  by  the  17th  of 
August,  when  Lee  assembled  before  Pope  a  force  sufficient  to 
contest  his  further  advance,  and  balk  his  threatened  passage  of 
the  Rapidan. 

It  was,  probably,  the  design  of  General  Lee,  with,  the  bulk 
of  the  Confederate  army,  to  take  the  front,  left,  and  right,  and 
engage  General  Pope  at  or  near  the  Rapidan,  while  Jackson 
and  Ewell  wTere  to  cross  the  Shenandoah  river  and  mountains, 
cut  off  his  supplies  by  way  of  the  railroad,  and  menace  his 
rear  ;  but  Pope's  retreat  to  the  Rappahannock  partly  frustrated 
the  design,  and  compelled  Lee  to  keep  the  enemy's  attention 
drawn  to  his  front.  Jackson,  however,  succeeded  in  getting 
behind  Pope,  and  surprised  his  troops  at  Bristow  and  Manassas 
stations.  On  the  27th,  28th,  and  29th  fighting  occurred  be 
tween  Pope  and  the  forces  under  Jackson  and  Longstreet ; 
but,  hearing  that  more  soldiers  were  coming  to  reinforce  Pope, 
General  Lee  at  once  determined  to  give  him  battle.  Accord 
ingly,  on  the  30th  of  August,  he  attacked  him  on  the  old  battle 
field  of  Bull  Run. 

The  account  of  this  battle  may  be  best  given,  for  our  present 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  69 

purpose,  nearly  in  the  words  of  General  Lee  himself,  and  from 
what  has  already  been  published. 

It  appears  that  on  Friday  night  (August  29th)  the  Confed 
erate  forces  were  resting  upon  their  arms,  and  ready  for  the 
engagement  next  day.  The  following  morning  the  pickets  of 
the  two  armies  were  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  each  other, 
and  the  line  of  battle  of  each  party  was  as  follows.* 

The  Confederates  were  placed  in  the  form  of  an  obtuse 
crescent,  at  least  five  miles  long,  with  Jackson's  division  stretch 
ing  from  Sudley,  on  Bull  Run,  along  the  partly  excavated 
track  of  the  Manassas  Independent  line  of  railroad,  for  a  por 
tion  of  the  way,  and  thence  towards  a  point  on  the  Warren- 
ton  turnpike,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Groveton.  His 
extreme  right  came  within  about  six  hundred  yards  of  the 
turnpike. 

Longstreet's  command,  which  formed  the  Confederate  right 
wing,  extended  from  Jackson's,  beyond  the  line  of  the  Ma 
nassas  Gap  railroad.  Thus  the  centre  of  Lee's  army  was  not 
far  from  the  same  position  that  the  right  wing  of  McDowell's 
army  was  in  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  July,  1861.  In 
deed,  the  whole  ground  covered  by  the  fight  of  this  day,  was 
identical  with  the  scene  of  McDowell's  and  Beauregard's  hard- 
fought  field  thirteen  months  before. 

In  the  centre  of  Lee's  army,  between  Jackson  and  Long- 
street,  eight  batteries  were  placed  on  an  important  elevation, 
under  command  of  Colonel  S.  D.  Lee,  of  South  Carolina. 
This  spot  was  one  of  the  best  that  could  have  been  selected, 
as  it  had  the  advantage  of  overlooking  all  the  locality  around. 
Pope's  army  had  formed  in  line  of  battle  similar  to  that  of 
Lee's,  with  its  advanced  centre  at  Groveton,  and  its  wings 
declining  obliquely  to  the  right  and  left.  Heintzelman  had 
the  extreme  right  (his  old  ground),  and  McDowell  the  left, 
while  the  corps  of  Fitz  John  Porter,  and  Siegel,  with  Reno's 
division  of  Burnside's  detached  forces,  were  in  the  centre. 

Early  in  the  morning,  the  battle  began  with  artillery,  but 
little  damage  was  done  until  the  afternoon,  when  the  engage 
ment  became  very  severe.  Jackson's  infantry  raked  the  enemy 
most  fearfully,  causing  him  to  break  and  run  several  times, 

*  Pollard,  Second  Year  of  the  War. 


10  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

yet  as  repeatedly  rallying  again  under  the  appeals  of  their 
officers.  Finally,  however,  they  were  compelled  to  retreat, 
apparently  designing  to  fall  back  in  the  direction  of  Manassas. 
But  General  Lee,  with  Jackson  and  Longstreet,  had  been  care 
fully  watching  their  every  movement,  and  frustrated  any  such 
attempt,  had  it  been  really  intended.  For  a  short  time,  a  pause 
now  ensued,  when  suddenly  the  roar  of  artillery  again  shook 
the  ground,  and  the  gallant  Federals  were  seen  advancing 
with  heroic  determination  upon  Lee's  centre.  They  were  met 
by  a  murderous  discharge  from  Colonel  Lee's  well-posted  artil 
lery,  which  almost  annihilated  them,  as  the  shot  and  shell 
raked  and  tore  them  to  pieces.  It  was  impossible  to  withstand 
this  terrible  discharge,  and  the  advancing  columns  fell  back, 
only  to  be  succeeded,  however,  by  another  gallant  brigade  of 
Federals  charging  as  before.  Again  the  iron  storm  crashed 
through  their  ranks,  and  again  they  broke  and  ran.  A  third 
force,  heavier  than  before,  now  advanced  with  mad  rapidity, 
and,  in  the  midst  of  the  awful  fire  of  the  Confederate  batteries, 
threw  themselves  upon  Jackson,  engaging  him  most  desper 
ately.  Reserves  followed,  and  the  fight  became  furious.  Pres 
ently  the  Union  troops  were  compelled  to  give  way,  amidst  a 
scene  of  horrible  slaughter.  Swift  in  pursuit,  Jackson's  men 
rushed  forward,  and  at  the  same  time  Longstreet  dashed  with 
impetuous  force  upon  the  Federal  left  flank.  The  whole  Con 
federate  army  was  now  in  motion,  and  the  battle  raged  in  all 
its  power.  Jackson  on  the  Union  right,  and  Longstreet  on 
their  left,  was  forcing  their  extended  flanks  inward,  while 
General  Lee  with  his  centre,  and  artillery,  now  moved  on  from 
hill  to  hill  in  advance,  was  ploughing  a  way  in  huge  gaps 
through  their  heart.  The  effect  was  terrible.  "  The  Confed 
erates  came  on,"  says  a  Northern  journalist,  "like  demons 
emerging  from  the  earth."  Up  the  old,  and,  to  some  of  the 
regiments,  the  well-known  Warren  ton  turnpike ;  down  the 
steeps  of  the  plateau  around  the  famous  Henry  House ;  across 
the  fields  and  over  the  hills  on  the  left,  as  you  come  from  Sud- 
ley  to  the  Dogan  farm ;  pell-mell,  mad  with  excitement,  rage, 
and  that  fearful  desire  for  blood  which  all  feel  at  such  times, 
over  heaps  of  dead  and  dying,  rushed  the  wild  Southern  sol 
diers  upon  their  foe,  still  combating  foot  by  foot  the  ground 
whereon  they  had  to  retreat.  But,  this  time,  it  was  not  as 


GENKRAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  71 

before,  when  a  sudden  panic  drove  the  Northern  soldier  madly 
forward,  in  terrible  confusion,  anxious  to  escape.  It  was  a 
well-contested  movement  backwards;  and  as  the  sun  went 
down,  once  again  upon  that  gory  battlefield,  as  it  had'  done 
on  the  evening  of  July  21st,  of  the  preceding  year,  the  defeated 
forces  of  the  Xorth  could  boast  of  having  fought  bravely  to 
the  last,  and  only  retreated  when  to  longer  stand  would  have 
been  complete  annihilation.  Forced  across  Bull  Run,  with 
their  dead  covering  every  acre  from  Groveton  to  the  Stone 
Bridge,  and  the  enemy  in  overwhelming  numbers  pursuing, 
nothing  remained  for  them  but  to  try  and  check  the  foe's  ad 
vance.  This  was  done  by  destroying  the  bridge,  and  making 
the  fords,  as  General  Lee  himself  says,  doubtful  to  pass. 
Pursuit,  therefore,  ended,  and  the  remnant  of  Pope's  heroic 
army  marched  at  once  to  Centreville,  where  it  encamped  in 
strong  position. 

Thus  ended  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  General  Lee 
had  again  achieved  a  victory,  for  which  he  and  his  brave  army 
soon  afterwards  received  the  grateful  thanks  of  President  Davis 
and  the  Confederacy. 

In  the  battle,  Generals  Lee,  Jackson,  Longstreet,  Hood, 
Kemper,  Evans,  Jones,  Jenkins,  Stuart,  and  other  generals, 
were  everywhere  conspicuous,  sharing  in  all  the  dangers  of 
their  men,  and  personally  directing  and  encouraging  the  on 
ward  movements.  The  colonels  and  subordinate  officers  are 
also  highly  spoken  of,  and  the  conduct  of  the  too  often  forgot 
ten  private  was  justly  remembered  by  Lee,  as  was  ever  cus 
tomary  with  him. 

Xight  had  now  put  an  end  to  the  scene,  and  the  troops 
bivouacked  on  the  battlefield.  But,  next  morning,  Sunday 
31st,  it  was  neces'sary  to  put  the  army  in  motion  again  towards 
the  Little  river  and  Chantilly,  for  the  purpose  of  trying  to  turn 
Pope's  right,  or  drive  him  further  back.  Accordingly,  Jack 
son's  corps  was  pressed  forward,  and  Stuart  pursued  with  his 
cavalry,  lighting  the  Union  rearguard  at  Cub  Run  bridge, 
•which  they  burned  after  them.  Stuart  then  struck  into  the 
turnpike  towards  Chantilly,  and  found  the  Federal  army,  on 
Sunday  evening,  retreating  towards  Fairfax  Court-house. 

Meanwhile,  General  Pope,  on  the  day  after  the  battle,  had 
found  it  necessary  to  send  a  flag  of  truce  to  General  Lee  with 


T2  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

reference  to  his  wounded  left  on  the  field  uncared  for,  except 
so  far  as  attention  was  humanely  given  them  by  the  Confed 
erates.  The  reply  of  General  Lee  gave  consent  to  ambulances 
coming  within  his  lines,  and  promising  every  assistance,  but 
did  not  agree  to  any  suspension  of  military  operations.* 

*  The  following  is  General  Lee's  Report  of  this  battle,  and  the  correspond 
ence  we  have  referred  to  : 

HEADQUARTERS,  ARMY  NORTHWESTERN  VIRGINIA,  ) 
CHANTILLY,  Sept.  3,  1862.      ) 

His  EXCELLENCY,  JEFFERSON  DAVIS,  PRESIDENT  CONFEDERATE  STATES  OF 
AMERICA  : 

MR.  PRESIDENT  :  My  letter  of  the  3Qtli  ult.  will  have  informed  your  Excel 
lency  of  the  progress  of  this  army  to  that  date.  General  Longstreet's  division, 
having  arrived  the  day  previous,  was  formed  in  order  of  battle  on  the  right  of 
General  Jackson,  who  had  been  engaged  writh  the  enemy  since  morning,  resist 
ing  an  attack  commenced  on  the  28th.  The  enemy,  on  the  latter  day,  was 
vigorously  repulsed,  leaving  his  numerous  dead  and  wounded  on  the  field. 
His  attack  011  the  morning  of  the  29th  was  feeble,  but  became  warmer  in  the 
afternoon,  when  he  was  again  repulsed  by  both  wings  of  the  army.  His  loss 
on  this  clay,  as  stated  in  his  published  report,  herewith  inclosed,  amounted  to 
8,000  killed  and  wounded. 

The  enemy,  being  reinforced,  renewed  the  attack  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
30th,  when  a  general  advance  of  both  wings  of  the  army  was  ordered,  and  after 
a  fierce  combat,  which  raged  until  after  nine  o'clock,  he  was  completely  de 
feated  and  driven  beyond  Bull  Run.  The  darkness  of  the  night,  his  destruc 
tion  of  the  stone  bridge  after  crossing,  and  the  uncertainty  of  the  fords,  stopped 
the  pursuit. 

The  next  morning,  the  enemy  was  discovered  in  the  strong  position  at  Cen- 
treville,  and  the  army  was  put  in  motion  towards  the  Little  River  turnpike,  to 
turn  his  right.  Upon  reaching  Ox  Hill,  on  the  1st  of  September,  he  was  again 
discovered  in  our  front,  on  the  heights  of  Germantown,  and  about  5  P.  M.  made 
a  spirited  attack  upon  the  front  and  right  of  our  columns,  with  a  view  of  appar 
ently  covering  the  withdrawal  of  his  trains  on  the  Centreville  road,  and  mask 
ing  his  retreat.  Our  position  was  maintained  with  but  slight  loss  on  both 
sides.  Major-general  Kearney  was  left  by  the  enemy  dead  on  the  field.  During 
the  night  the  enemy  fell  back  to  Fairfax  Court-house,  and  abandoned  his  posi 
tion  at  Centreville.  Yesterday  about  noon,  he  evacuated  Fairfax  Court-house, 
taking  the  roads,  as  reported  to  me,  to  Alexandria  and  Washington. 

I  have,  as  yet,  been  unable  to  get  official  reports  of  our  loss  or  captured  in 
these  various  engagements.  Many  gallant  officers  have  been  killed  or  wounded. 
Of  the  general  officers,  Ewell,  Trimble,  Taliaferro,  Fields,  Jenkins,  and  Ma- 
hone,  have  been  reported  wounded :  Colonels  Means,  Marshall,  Baylor,  Neff, 
and  Gadberry,  killed.  About  7,000  prisoners  have  already  been  paroled,  about 
the  same  number  of  small-arms  collected  from  the  field,  and  thirty  pieces  of 
cannon  captured,  besides  a  number  of  wagons,  ambulances,  etc.  A  large  num 
ber  of  arms  still  remain  on  the  ground.  For  want  of  transportation,  valuable 
stores  had  to  be  destroyed  as  captured,  while  the  enemy,  at  their  various  de 
pots,  are  reported  to  have  burned  many  millions  of  property  in  their  retreat. 


GENERAL   EGBERT  EDMUND  LEE.  73 

The  results  of  General  Lee's  strategy  were  indicative  of  the 
resources  of  military  genius.  Day  after  day  the  enemy  were 
beaten,  until  his  disasters  culminated  on  the  plains  of  Manassas. 
Day  after  day  the  officers  and  men  manifested  a  daring  and 
skill  rarely,  if  ever,  surpassed.  The  summer  campaign  in 
Virginia  had  been  conducted  by  the  same  army  that  had 
relieved  the  siege  of  Richmond  in  the  seven  days'  battles.  The 
trials  and  marches  of  these  troops  are  most  extraordinary. 
Transportation  was  inadequate;  the  streams  which  they  had 
to  cross  were  swollen  to  unusual  height ;  and  yet,  forcing 
themselves  onward,  they  ultimately  succeeded  in  their  crown 
ing  triumphs  of  the  Second  Battle  of  Bull  Run  ;  or,  as  termed 
in  the  South,  "  Manassas." 

General  Lee  now  followed  up  his  success  by  an  attack  on  the 
enemy  massed  in  the  neighborhood  of  Chantilly,  at  Ox  Mill, 

Nothing  could  surpass  the  gallantry  and  endurance  of  the  troops,  who  have 
cheerfully  borne  every  danger  and  hardship,  both  on  the  battlefield  and  march. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

K.  E.  LEE,  General. 

[Chantilly  is  north  of  Centreville  and  northwest  of  Fairfax  Court-house,  about 
six  or  eight  miles  from  each.  The  "  letter  of  the  30th,"  referred  to  in  the  above, 
was  not  received.  The  Little  River  turnpike  leads  from  Middleburg  to  Alex 
andria,  and  intersects  the  Centreville  turnpike  about  a  mile  this  side  of  Fairfax 
Court-house.  Germantown  is  on  the  Little  River  turnpike,  about  half  a  mile 
west  of  its  intersection  with  the  Centreville  turnpike.] 

The  following  correspondence  will  illustrate  the  thoroughness  of  the  enemy's 
defeat  in  the  battle  of  the  30th.  It  bears  date,  as  will  be  seen,  of  the  next  day. 

CENTREVILLE,  Augu-st  31,  1862. 

SIR— Many  of  the  wounded  of  this  army  have  been  left  on  the  field,  for 
whom  I  desire  to  send  ambulances.  Will  you  please  inform  me  whether  you 
consent  to  a  truce  until  they  are  cared  for  ?  I  am,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

JOHN  POPE, 

Major-general  United  States  Army,  Commanding. 
COMMANDING-  OFFICER  Confederate  forces,  near  Groveton. 

HEADQUARTERS,  ARMY  OF  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA,  August  31,  1862. 
Major-general  JOHN  POPE,  U.  S.  A.,  Commanding,  etc. : 

SIR — Consideration  for  your  wounded  induces  me  to  consent  to  your  sending 
ambulances  to  convey  them  within  your  lines.  I  cannot  consent  to  a  truce  nor 
a  suspension  of  military  operations  of  this  army.  If  you  desire  to  send  for  your 
wounded,  should  your  ambulances  report  to  Dr.  Guilet,  medical  director  of  this  * 
army,  he  will  give  directions  for  their  transportation.  The  wounded  will  be 
paroled,  and  it  is  understood  that  no  delay  will  take  place  in  their  removal. 
Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

E.  E.  LEE,  General. 


74:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

just  above  German  town.  Here,  in  the  afternoon,  an  engage 
ment  took  place,  which  was  exceedingly  obstinate,  though  not 
lasting.  It  was  here  that  the  gallant  and  lamented  Kearney 
fell — the  admired  and  esteemed  of  all,  who  had  come  expressly 
from  Europe  to  join  the  Union  cause,  the  cause  of  his  native 
land  ;  and  his  body  lay  undiscovered  until  the  next  day,  when 
the  Confederates  carried  it  to  his  comrades  under  a  flag  of 
truce.  That  evening  the  battle  was  interrupted  by  a  severe 
thunder-storm,  and  darkness  corning  on,  the  engagement  ceased. 
On  the  next  day  it  was  found  that  the  Union  forces  had  fallen 
back  within  the  defences  of  Washington,  and  the  Confederates 
thereupon  once  more  took  possession  of  Fairfax  Court-house. 
Immediately  afterwards,  demonstrations  were  made  near  the 
Chain  Bridge,  and  the  fords  of  the  Potomac  above  Washing 
ton,  as  if  Lee  intended  to  assault  the  fortifications.  But  this 
was  merely  a  feint  to  mislead  the  foe, — Jackson,  ordering  maps 
of  the  locality,  and  inquiring  all  about  the  roads  around  the 
capital,  quietly  and  suddenly  went  forward  in  another  direc 
tion,  in  pursuance  of  previous  plans  and  the  wishes  of  his 
whole  army. 

General  Lee's  determination  now  was  to  invade  Maryland, 
and  see  if  that  State  might  not  be  aroused  to  join  the  South.* 
On  the  4 tli  of  September,  1862,  leaving  to  his  right  Arlington 
Heights,  to  which  Pope  with  his  army  had  retreated,  he  crossed 
the  Potomac  in  the  neighborhood  of  Leesburg,  and  marched 
to  Frederickton,  throwing  the  whole  State  of  Pennsylvania 
into  great  alarm.  The  people  of  Maryland,  however,  did  not 
join  him  as  anticipated,  and  he  resolved,  therefore,  to  mark  his 
invasion  by  an  attack  on  Harper's  Ferry.  General  Miles,  of 
the  United  States  army,  held  the  post  with  11,500  men,  and 
Lee  sent  against  him  General  Jackson  with  his  corps,  while 
Longstreet  with  his  troops  covered  the  movement,  and  D.  II. 
Hill  was  stationed  at  Boonesboro  to  check  the  advance  of 
McClellan,  who  had  been  reappointed  to  the  command  of  the 
Union  army.  Lee  himself  kept  with  Longstreet,  and  continued, 
by  various  feints,  to  lead  the  North  into  continual  doubt  and 
anxiety  as  to  his  real  object. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  General  D.  II.  Hill  was  posted 

*  Pollard,  "  Second  Year  of  tlie  War,"  p.  124. 


GENERAL   EGBERT  EDMUND   LEE.  75 

in  and  around  a  gap  in  the  South  Mountain,  close  to  Boones- 
boro.  This  pass  is  known  as  Boonesboro  Gap,  being  over  the 
broad  back  of  the  mountain,  a  continuation  of  the  National 
turnpike.  The  road  is  winding,  narrow,  rocky,  and  rugged, 
with  either  a  deep  ravine  on  one  hand,  and  the  steep  sides  of 
the  mountain  on  the  other,  or  like  a  hu^e  channel  cut  through 

/  O  O 

the  solid  rock.  Near  the  crest  are  two  or  three  houses,  which 
to  some  extent  overlook  the  adjacent  valley,  but  elsewhere 
the  face  of  the  mountain  is  unbroken  by  a  solitary  vestige  of 
the  handiwork  of  man. 

It  was  here  that  McClellan  with  his  new  forces  encountered 
Hill.  The  battle  commenced  soon  after  daylight  by  a  vigor 
ous  cannonade,  under  cover  of  which,  two  or  three  hours  later, 
first  the  skirmishers  and  then  the  main  body  became  engaged. 
A  regular  line  of  battle  on  the  Confederate  side,  either  as 
regards  numbers  or  order,  was  impossible,  and  the  theatre  of 
the  fight  was  therefore  limited.  The  fortune  of  the  day,  which 
was  desperate  enough  in  the  face  of  overwhelming  numbers, 
was  stubbornly  contested  by  the  Confederates.  The  brigade 
of  General  Garland,  of  Virginia,  the  first  engaged,  lost  its  brave 
commander.  While  endeavoring  to  rally  his  men,  he  fell, 
pierced  in  the  breast  by  a  musket-ball,  and  died  upon  the  field. 

While  the  Confederate  lines  were  giving  way  under  pressure 
of  McClellan's  troops,  the  welcome  sounds  of  reinforcements 
were  borne  on  the  air.  The  corps  of  General  Longstreet  was 
at  Hagerstown,  fourteen  miles  distant,  and  at  daylight  com 
menced  its  march  towards  the  scene  of  action,  General  Lee 
accompanying  it.  Hurrying  forward  with  all  speed,  stopping 
neither  to  rest  nor  eat,  the  advance  arrived  at  the  Pass  about 
4  P.  M.,  and  were  at  once  sent  into  the  mountain.  Brigade 
after  brigade,  as  rapidly  as  it  came  up,  followed,  until,  by  five 
o'clock,  nearly  the  entire  command  was  in  position,  and  a 
portion  of  it  already  engaged.  The  accession  of  fresh  numbers 
at  once  arrested  the  backward  movement  of  Hill,  who,  having 
gallantly  fought  all  the  day,  was  now  overpowered  on  his  right 
wing.  But  the  reinforcements  had  arrived  in  time,  and  when 
night  came  on,  the  two  armies  were  in  much  the  same  position 
as  at  the  commencement  of  the  battle,  with  no  advantage  to 
either,  except  that  which  the  Confederates  wished,  of  holding 
McClellau  in  check. 


76  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

While  this  action  was  in  progress,  the  capture  of  Harper's 
Ferry  was  effected  by  the  army  corps  of  General  Jackson. 
During  the  night  of  the  14th  he  had  planted  his  guns,  and 
early  next  morning  opened,  in  all  directions,  on  the  Federal 
forces,  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle  on  Bolivar  Heights.  Soon 
after  seven  o'clock,  however,  a  white  flag  was  raised,  and 
Harper's  Ferry,  with  its  fine  army,  its  splendid  park  of  artil 
lery,  and  a  large  number  of  small- arms,  surrendered. 

Meanwhile  General  Lee  fell  back  to  Sharpsburg,  to  concen 
trate  his  forces,  and  give  battle  to  the  still  advancing  foe. 
Sharpsburg  is  about  ten  miles  north  of  Harper's  Ferry,  and 
eight  miles  west  of  Boonesboro.  The  town  lies  in  a  deep  val 
ley.  The  country  around  it  is  broken.  Ascending  a  hill,  just 
on  the  outer  edge  of  the  town,  and  looking  towards  the  Blue 
Ridge,  the  eye  ranges  over  the  greater  portion  of  the  eventful 
field.  To  the  right  and  left  is  a  succession  of  hills  which  were 
occupied  by  the  Confederates.  In  front  is  the  beautiful  valley 
of  the  Antietam,  divided  longitudinally  by  the  river,  which 
empties  into  the  Potomac  on  the  right,  forming  a  background 
to  the  picture.  Two  miles  distant  are  the  steep,  umbrageous 
sides  of  the  Blue  Hidge. 

The  morning  of  the  17th  of  September  found  General  Lee 
strongly  posted  when  the  battle  commenced.  The  Union  forces, 
commanded  by  McClellan  in  person,  were  in  line  of  battle, 
between  four  and  live  miles  long,  with  their  left  stretching 
across  the  Sharpsburg  road.  General  Burnside  was  on  this 
extreme  left,  and  General  Hooker  on  the  right. 

During  the  afternoon  of  the  16th,  McClellan  had  opened  a 
light  artillery  fire  on  the  Confederates  ;  but  not  until  daybreak 
of  the  17th  did  the  battle,  in  all  its  fury,  commence.  Then  be 
gan  one  of  those  severe  contests  which  showed  the  indomitable 
bravery  and  determination  of  each  side.  In  the  morning,  some 
of  the  divisions  belonging  to  the  Confederate  army  had  not 
come  up  from  Harper's  Ferry ;  but,  later  in  the  day  they  ar 
rived,  and  then  the  conflict  raged  throughout  the  entire  line. 
A  portion  of  the  Southern  army  on  the  left  was  driven  back ; 
and  though  the  troops  under  McClellan  were,  in  a  great  meas 
ure,  composed  of  raw  levies,  they  behaved  so  well,  that  even 
Lee's  veterans,  for  a  time,  became  staggered.  At  length,  how 
ever,  the  new  recruits  of  the  Northern  army  were  compelled 


GENERAL   ROBERT   EDMUND    LEE.  77 

to  fall  back,  and  allow  the  longer-tried  soldiers  to  maintain  the 
ground,  and  this  they  did  most  bravely.  Furiously  the  battle 
raged,  and  "  backwards  and  forwards,  swaying  like  a  ship  in  a 
storm,"  were  the  various  columns  of  the  contending  parties 
seen  in  motion.  Nobly  did  the  soldiers  of  the  South,  also, 
perform  their  duty,  and  even  their  enemies  could  not  help 
praising  them.  "  It  is  a  wonder,"  wrote  a  Federal  officer, 
"  how  men  such  as  the  rebel  troops  are,  can  fight  as  they  do. 
That  those  ragged  wretches,  sick,  hungry,  and  in  all  ways 
miserable,  should  prove  such  heroes  in  fight,  is  past  explana 
tion.  Men  never  fought  better." 

In  the  afternoon,  the  Union  forces  pushed  forward  on  Lee's 
right,  where  General  Jones'  division  was  posted.  There  Gen 
eral  Toombs'  brigade  was  guarding  a  bridge,  spanning  Antietam 
creek,  and,  as  the  enemy  advanced,  they  fought  until  nearly 
cut  to  pieces,  and  obliged  to  retreat.  The  movement  was  fol 
lowed  up  by  Burnside  crossing  the  bridge  in  force,  and  with 
an  irresistible  impulse  that  nothing  could  resist.  But  night 
now  approached,  and,  after  a  hard-fought  day,  the  two  parties 
rested  in  the  positions  they  had  respectively  secured,  without, 
however,  either  gaining  material  advantage  over  the  other. 
Burnside  held  the  bridge,  but  in  other  parts  of  the  field  the 
Confederates  maintained  their  own. 

This  battle  was  one  of  the  most  bloody  and  terrible  that  had 
yet  been  fought.  "  Many  of  the  dead  had  to  be  left  unburied 
for  a  time  on  the  battlefield.  Some  of  them  laid  with  their 
faces  to  the  ground,  whither  they  had  turned  in  the  agony  of 
death  ;  others  were  heaped  in  piles  of  three  and  four  together, 
with  their  arms  interlocked,  and  their  faces  turned  upwards 
towards  the  sky.  Scores  of  them  were  laid  out  in  rows,  as 
though  the  death-shot  had  penetrated  their  breast  as  they  were 
advancing  to  the  attack.  Covered  with  mud  and  dust,  with 
their  faces  and  clothes  smeared  with  blood  and  gore,  there  they 
rotted  in  the  sun." 

The  close  of  this  battle  left  neither  army  in  a  condition  to 
renew  the  conflict.  The  next  morning,  General  Lee  found  that 
McClellan  had  moved  his  army  from  the  front,  and,  knowing 
the  superiority  of  Northern  troops  in  numbers,  and  expecting 
a  rapid  movement  to  cut  him  off,  he  crossed  the  Potomac  with 
out  delay,  taking  position  near  Shepherdstown. 


78  SOTJTIIEEN   GENERALS. 

It  has  been  asserted  in  the  North,  and  denied  by  the  South, 
that  McClellan  had  here  gained  a  victory  over  Lee.  But,  the 
truth  of  history  must  admit  that  both  sides  were  victorious, 
and  yet  both  also  suffered  a  defeat.  They  were  victorious — 
the  North  in  effectively  arresting  the  enemy  from  advancing 
further — the  South  in  preventing  their  foe  from  entrapping 
them  ;  and  they  were  equally  defeated,  when  neither  could 
further  accomplish  his  designs,  and  when  both  had  to  leave  the 
battlefield  on  the  next  day  without  attempting  more.  To 
General  Lee  and  his  army,  in  the  enemy's  own  country,  it 
was  a  victory,  because  he  could  and  did  move  backward  at 
will,  and  without  molestation.  To  General  McClellan  and  his 
brave  soldiers  it  was  also  a  victory,  for  it  effectively  stopped 
the  Southern  advance  and  compelled  them  to  retire. 

McClellan  had  now  retreated  to  Harper's  Ferry,  which  was 
again  in  possession  of  the  North  ;  but,  on  the  1st  of  October, 
his  cavalry  under  General  Pleasanton  drove  back  the  Confed 
erate  pickets  in  front  of  Shepherdstown.  The  Ninth  Virginia 
Cavalry,  on  picket  duty,  bravely  disputed  the  ground,  step  by 
step  to  the  main  body.  General  Lee,  in  his  official  report, 
says:  "By  the  time  his  artillery  reached  him,  Colonel  "W.  F. 
H.  Lee,  who  was  in  command  of  the  brigade,  was  obliged  to 
place  it  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Occoquan,  on  the  flank  of  the 
enemy  as  he  approached  Martinsburg.  General  Hampton's 
brigade  had  retired  through  Martinsburg,  when  General 
Stuart  arrived  and  made  dispositions  to  attack.  Lee's  brigade 
was  advanced  immediately,  and  Hampton's  ordered  forward. 
The  enemy  retired  at  the  approach  of  Lee  along  the  Sheperds- 
town  road,  and  was  driven  across  the  Potomac  by  the  cavalry, 
with  severe  loss,  darkness  alone  preventing  it  from  being  a  sig 
nal  victory.  His  rear  was  overtaken  and  put  to  flight,  our 
cavalry  charging  in  gallant  style  under  a  severe  fire  of  artil 
lery,  driving  squadron  after  squadron,  killing  a  number, 
wounding  more,  and  capturing  several.  He  was  driven 
through  Shepherdstown,  and  crossed  the  river  after  dark,  in  no 
case  standing  a  hand-to-hand  conflict,  but  relying  upon  his 
artillery  and  carbineers  at  long  range  for  protection." 

General  Lee's  headquarters  were  now  established  near  Win 
chester,  and  there,  by  the  skilful  disposition  of  his  forces,  he 
rendered  it  impracticable  for  McClellan  to  invade  the  Shenan- 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  79 

doah  valley,  but  forced  him  to  adopt  the  route  on  tlie  east 
side  of  the  Blue  Kidire  into  Virginia,  which  was  still  looked 

O  O  ' 

upon,  by  the  North,  as  the  great  Held  where  battles  should  be 
fought. 

Shrewd,  careful,  and  far-seeing,  however,  Lee  was  not  to  be 
deceived  into  fancied  security  by  any  display  of  the  enemy's 
movements.  Under  that  calm  exterior  of  his,  there  was  a  fire 
of  enthusiasm  and  an  energy  of  mind — well  arid  ably  seconded 
b}T  the  brave  and  faithful  chiefs,  officers,  and  soldiers  around 
him — that  was  capable  of  the  most  masterly  generalship  and 
prompt  execution  of  plans.  Hardly  had  the  Marylanders  re 
covered  from  their  dismay  at  finding  Lee's  army  in  their 
midst,  and  their  after  thankfulness  at  his  departure,  than  they 
were  astonished  by  another  daring  incursion  amongst  them. 
This  was  accomplished  by  that  bold  cavalry  officer  General 
Stuart,  and  was  started  by  Lee  on  the  8th  of  October,  accord 
ing  to  the  following  directions. 

Stuart  was  to  take  from  1,200  to  1,500  well-mounted  men, 
cross  the  Potomac  above  Williams-port,  and  proceed  to  the 
rear  of  Chambersburg,  where  he  was  to  destroy  the  railroad 
bridge,  and  commit  any  other  damage  possible,  on  the  enemy, 
or  his  means  of  transportation.  Every  information  of  the  po 
sition,  force,  and  probable  intention  of  the  enemy  was  to  be 
gained ;  and,  to  avoid  news  being  forwarded  by  citizens  to 
the  Union  forces,  they  were,  upon  suspicion,  to  be  arrested. 
Officials  under  the  Federal  Government  were  to  be  seized 
and  held  as  hostages  ;  but,  in  all  cases,  every  respect  and  con 
sideration  was  to  be  shown  them.  Horses,  and  any  other 
necessary  articles,  were  to  be  captured  ;  and  then  every  expe 
dition  used  to  rejoin  the  army. 

Full  reliance  was  justly  placed  on  General  Stuart  to  carry 
out  these  instructions  as  he  might  consider  best;  and  Colonel 
Imboden  was  directed  to  draw  the  enemy's  attention  away 
from  such  parts  of  the  Potomac  where  the  Confederates  might 
cross. 

These  instructions  were  faithfully  carried  out  by  General 
Stuart,  and  his  command, — Brigadier-general  Hampton,  Col 
onels  A\r.  F.  H.  Lee,  and  Jones,  forming  a  part  of  it, — and  on 
the  12th  the  entire  expedition  returned  safely,  without  the  loss 
of  a  single  man,  and  with  only  a  few  slight  wounds  received 


80  SOUTHERN    GENEEALS. 

in  skirmishes.  They  had  passed  through  several  important 
places,  and  entered  Chambersburg,  where  possession  of  the 
town  was  immediately  given  to  them,  and  where,  as  well  as 
in  other  places,  every  care  was  taken,  according  to  orders,  that 
the  peaceful  inhabitants  should  not  be  ill-treated.  Several 
official  persons  and  prominent  citizens  were  captured  as  hosta 
ges  for  Southern  non-combatants  imprisoned  by  the  North, 
and  a  large  amount  of  provisions  and  a  great  number  of  hor 
ses  were  also  secured.  Altogether  the  expedition  was  most 
successful,  and  General  Lee,  in  his  official  report,  very  highly 
complimented  Stuart  and  his  command  for  its  execution. 

Towards  the  end  of  October,  fresh  movements,  on  the  part 
of  the  Union  forces,  began  to  take  place.  Several  minor  en 
gagements  had  occurred,  and,  finally,  the  disposition  of  the 
respective  troops  was  as  follows  :  "The  Northern  army  occupied 
all  the  region  east  of  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains,  with  the  right 
resting  on  Harper's  Ferry,  and  the  left  near  Paris,  on  the  road 
from  Aldie  to  Winchester.  The  centre  was  at  Snickersville, 
with  Snicker's  Gap  in  its  possession.  The  Confederate  line 
was  on  the  south  side  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  with  the  Shenandoah 
river  immediately  in  its  front,  extending  from  Front  Royal 
down  to  Charleston,  with  the  great  body  of  their  troops  massed 
betwreen  Berry ville  and  Winchester.  On  the  4th  of  Novem 
ber,  Ashby's  Gap  was  occupied,  without  opposition,  by  the 
Federal  troops.  The  approaches  to  Manassas  Gap  were  also 
held  by  the  Federals,  and,  on  the  6th,  General  McClellan  had 
his  headquarters  at  RectortowTn,  near  Front  Royal.''  Thus,  to 
all  appearance,  the  Confederate  forces  were  thoroughly  hem 
med  in,  and  General  Lee  confined,  hopelessly,  near  Winchester. 
Great,  therefore,  was  the  surprise  of  the  Union  army  when  it 
was  found  that  Lee  had  intuitively  judged  their  plans,  and 
forestalled  them  by  detaching  the  greater  part  of  his  troops, 
and  accompanying  them  to  the  south  bank  of  the  Rappahannock, 
leaving  Jackson  to  guard  the  Shenandoah  until  circumstances 
would  indicate  whether  he  should  unite  with  him. 

The  available  force  of  General  McClellan  was  about  120,000 
men,  and  its  condition  and  spirit  was  unequalled  by  that  of 
any  force  before  organized :  that  of  General  Lee  consisted  of 
about  60,000  able  men,  at  Culpepper  and  Gordonsville,  and 
30,000  in  the  Shenandoah  valley,  and  we  have  already  seen 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  81 

what  was  their  state,  away  from  all  their  immediate  resources, 
and  enfeebled,  but  not  dispirited,  by  a  long  campaign.  Thus, 
then,  it  is  evident  that  it  was  again  a  very  critical  juncture  for 
the  South,  and  one  that  required  the  most  consummate  ability, 
on  the  part  of  Lee,  to  guard  against.  The  two  former  close 
companions  in  arms — the  general-in-chief  of  the  Northern 
army,  and  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  Southern  forces — 
were,  as  they  had  been  only  three  months  previously,  when 
Richmond  was  in  danger,  face  to  face  with  each  other,  ready 
to  renew  a  contest  for  "  victory  or  death."  Yet,  just  at  that 
moment,  by  the  supreme  Federal  authority,  McClellan  was 
removed,  and  a  new,  a  brave,  but  hitherto  untried,  military 
chief  in  the  field,  General  Burnside,  was  placed  in  command. 
What  followed  is  familiar  to  every  one  who  knows  aught  of  the 
history  of  the  heroic  army  of  the  Potomac  and  its  beloved 
commander.  McClellan  bade  his  troops  farewell  amidst 
scenes  of  deep  feeling,  and  wild,  impassioned  tokens  of  affec 
tion,  on  the  part  of  his  officers  and  men,  such  as  rarely  wit 
nessed  since  Xapoleoirs  adieu  at  Fontainebleau.  Latterly  it 
has  been  made  to  appear  that  this  love  and  esteem  of  his 
soldiers  had  decreased,  but  impartial  history  cannot  fail  to  do 
justice,  by  recording  the  truth  as  here  narrated. 

With  McClellan's  departure,  Lee  found  that  a  new  change 
of  programme,  on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  was  to  commence. 
On  the  12th  of  Xove-mber  a  consultation  took  place  between 
General  Burnside  and  General  Halleck,  at  Warrenton,  and  by 
the  morning  of  the  ISth  the  Northern  forces  had  all  left,  en 
route  for  Fredericksburg,  which,  at  that  time,  was  held  by  the 
South.  Lee  immediately  followed,  and  with  that  promptitude 
and  sagacious  skill  which  characterized  his  every  movement, 
had  his  army  concentrated  on  the  heights,  in  the  rear  of 
Fredericksburg,  at  the  same  time  Burnside  had  massed  his 
forces  at  Falmouth,  on  the  oppposite  side  of  the  Rappahannock 
river.  Here  was  another  surprise  for  the  Xorth.  A  very 
short  time  previous,  General  Lee  and  his  worn-out  troops  were 
cooped  up  at  "Winchester,  in  the  Shenandoah  valley ;  now,  he 
and  his  hardy  veterans  were  in  readiness  for  the  fight  at 
Fredericksburg,  and  had  actually  blocked  the  passage  of  the 
Rappahannock !  So  confident,  it  is  said,  was  Burnside  and 
his  army  of  success  attending  his  stratagem — a  stratagem 

6 


82  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

whereoy  he  had  hoped  to  get  on  to  Richmond  by  the  nearer 
route  from  Fredericksburg,  left,  as  he  supposed,  unguarded,— 
that  the  most  sanguine  expectations  were  raised  of  a  speedy 
downfall  of  the  Southern  capital.  The  quick  and  energetic 
steps  taken,  however,  by  Lee,  so  dashed  these  hopes  to  the 
ground,  especially  on  seeing  the  way  to  Richmond  thus  again 
barred  by  the  same  daring  chief  and  his  undaunted  soldiers, 
who  had  before  stayed  the  invaders  at  the  very  threshold  of 
the  coveted  city,  that  gloom  and  distrust  were  again  speedily 
manifested.  Delays  on  the  part  of  the  Union  forces  followed, 
and  these  delays  the  more  enabled  General  Lee  to  make  his 
position  impregnable,  and  to  increase  his  reserve  of  resources 
within  his  own  intrencliments,  all  unknown  to  the  enemy. 
Finally,  on  the  night  of  the  10th  of  December  the  battle  was 
begun  ;  and  here  we  cannot  do  better  than  let  General  Lee 
speak  for  himself,  as  he  does  in  the  report  sent  by  him  to 
President  Davis. 

"  HEADQUARTERS,  AHMY  OF  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA,  Dec.  14,  1862. 
"  The  Honorable  Secretary  OF  War,  Richmond,  Va. 

"  SIR, — On  the  night  of  the  10th  instant  the  enemy  com 
menced  to  throw  three  bridges  over  the  Rappahannock — two 
at  Fredericksburg,  and  the  third  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter 
below,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Deep  Run.  The  plain  on  which 
Fredericksburg  stands  is  so  completely  commanded  by  the  hills 
of  Stafford,  in  possession  of  the  enemy,  that  no  effectual  oppo 
sition  could  be  offered  to  the  construction  of  the  bridges  on 
the  passage  of  the  river,  without  exposing  our  troops  to  the 
destructive  fire  of  his  numerous  batteries.  Positions  were, 
therefore,  selected  to  oppose  his  advance  after  crossing.  The 
narrowness  of  the  Rappahannock,  its  winding  course,  and  deep 
bed,  afforded  opportunity  for  the  construction  of  bridges  at 
points  beyond  the  reach  of  our  artillery,  and  the  banks  had  to  be 
watched  by  skirmishers.  The  latter,  sheltering  themselves  be 
hind  the  houses,  drove  back  the  working  parties  of  the  enemy 
at  the  bridges  opposite  the  city ;  but  at  the  lowest  point  of 
crossing,  where  no  shelter  could  be  had,  our  sharpshooters 
themselves  wTere  driven  off,  and  the  completion  of  the  bridge 
was  effected  about  noon  on  the  llth. 

"  In  the  afternoon  of  that  day  the  enemy's  batteries  opened 


GENERAL    EGBERT   EDMUND   LEE.  83 

upon  the  city,  and  by  dark  had  so  demolished  the  houses  on 
the  river-bank,  as  to  deprive  our  skirmishers  of  shelter ;  and, 
under  cover  of  his  guns,  he  effected  a  lodgment  in  the  town. 
The  troops  which  had  so  gallantly  held  their  position  in  the 
city  under  the  severe  cannonade  during  the  day,  resisting  the 
advance  of  the  enemy  at  every  step,  were  withdrawn  during 
the  night,  as  were  also  those  who,  with  equal  tenacity,  had 
maintained  their  post  at  the  lowest  bridge. 

"  Under  cover  of  darkness  and  a  dense  fog,  on  the  12th,  a 
large  force  passed  the  river,  and  took  position  on  the  right 
bank,  protected  by  their  heavy  guns  on  the  left. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  13th,  his  arrangements  for  attack 
being  completed,  about  nine  o'clock,  the  movement,  veiled  by 
a  fog,  he  advanced  boldly,  in  large  force,  against  our  right 
•wing.  General  Jackson's  corps  occupied  the  right  of  our  line, 
which  rested  on  the  railroad  ;  General  Longstreet's  the  left,  ex 
tending  along  the  heights  to  the  Rappahannock,  above  Fred- 
ericksburg ;  General  Stuart,  with  two  brigades  of  cavalry, 
was  posted  in  the  extensive  plain  on  our  extreme  right.  As 
soon  as  the  advance  of  the  enemy  was  discovered  through  the 
fog,  General  Stuart,  with  his  accustomed  promptness,  moved 
up  a  section  of  his  horse-artillery,  which  opened  with  effect 
upon  his  flank,  and  drew  upon  the  gallant  Pelham  a  heavy 
fire,  which  he  sustained  unflinchingly  for  about  two  hours. 

"  In  the  mean  time  the  enemy  was  fiercely  encountered  by 
General  A.  P.  Hill's  division,  forming  General  Jackson's  right, 
and  after  an  obstinate  combat  repulsed.  During  this  attack, 
which  was  protracted  and  hotly  contested,  two  of  General 
Hill's  brigades  were  driven  back  upon  our  second  line.  Gen 
eral  Early,  with  part  of  his  division,  being  ordered  to  his  sup 
port,  drove  the  enemy  back  from  the  point  of  woods  he  had 
seized,  and  pursued  him  into  the  plain,  until  arrested  by  his 
artillery. 

"  The  right  of  the  enemy's  column,  extending  beyond  Hill's 
front,  encountered  the  right  of  General  Hood,  of  Longstreet's 
corps.  The  enemy  took  possession  of  a  small  copse  in  front 
of  Hood,  but  were  quickly  dispossessed  of  it,  and  repulsed  with 
loss. 

"  During  the  attack  on  our  right  the  enemy  was  crossing 
troops  over  his  bridges  at  Fredericksburg,  and  massing  them  in 


84:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

front  of  Longstreet's  line.  Soon  after  his  repulse  on  onr  right 
he  commenced  a  series  of  attacks  on  our  left,  with  a  view  of 
obtaining  possession  of  the  heights  immediately  overlooking 
the  town.  These  repeated  attacks  were  repulsed  in  gallant 
style  by  the  Washington  Artillery,  under  Colonel  Walton  and 
a  portion  of  McLaw's  division,  which  occupied  these  heights. 

"  The  last  assault  was  made  after  dark,  when  Colonel  Alex 
ander's  battalion  had  relieved  the  Washington  Artillery,  whose 
ammunition  had  been  exhausted,  and  ended  the  contest  for 
the  day. 

"  The  enemy  was  supported  in  his  attacks  by  the  fire  of 
strong  batteries  of  artillery  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  as 
well  as  by  the  numerous  heavy  batteries  on  the  Stafford 
Heights. 

"  Our  loss  during  the  operation,  since  the  movements  of  the 
enemy  began,  amounts  to  about  eighteen  hundred,  killed  and 
wounded.  Among  the  former,  I  regret  to  report  the  death  of 
the  patriotic  soldier  and  statesman,  Brigadier-general  Thomas 
R.  R.  Cobb,  who  fell  upon  our  left ;  and  among  the  latter. 
that  brave  soldier  and  accomplished  gentleman,  Brigadier- 
general  M.  Gregg,  who  was  very  seriously,  and,  it  is  feared, 
mortally  wounded,  during  the  attack  on  our  right. 

"The  enemy  to-day  has  been  apparently  burying  his  dead. 
His  troops  are  visible  in  their  first  position,  in  line  of  battle; 
but,  with  the  exception  of  some  desultory  cannonading  and 
firing  between  the  skirmishers,  he  has  not  attempted  to  renew 
the  attack. 

"  About  five  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners  were  taken  during 
the  engagement,  but  the  full  extent  of  his  loss  is  unknown. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient 
servant,  «R.  E.  LEE, 

"  General  in  command." 

On  the  day  following  the  dispatch  of  this  Report,  Burnside 
determined  to  withdraw  across  the  river,  from  Fredericksburg, 
and  reoccupy  his  old  position.  This  was  most  skilfully  done, 
during  the  night  and  early  morning  of  December  15th  and 
16th  ;  and  every  man,  with  all  the  property,  was  safely  brought 
away,  the  pontoon  bridges  removed  at  the  same  time,  before 
General  Lee  and  his  army  were  aware  of  it.  Thus  ended  an- 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  85 

other  terrific  battle,  wherein  immense  slaughter  occurred,  and 
no  positive  advantage  was  gained  to  either  side.  The  ghastly 
field  was  such,  that  even  those  most  inured  to  sickening  scenes 
of  blood  shuddered.  The  loss  of  brave  men  on  both  sides  was 
great,  though  far  greater  on  the  North  than  on  the  South  ;  and 
the  destruction  of  peaceful  homes  and  private  property  such  as 
to  make  the  most  indifferent  pause  thoughtfully  on  beholding 
it.  General  Lee,  with  the  well-known  sensibilities  of  his  kindly 
nature,  felt  this  acutely,  especially  as  these  were  the  native 
scenes  of  his  early  youth,  and  every  thing  around  him  re 
minded  of  cherished  family  ties,  and  associations.  But  honor 
and  duty  forbade  any  display  of  his  own  personal  feelings. 
Neither  had  he  time  to  dwell  upon  painful  memories  of  the 
past.  His  native  soil  had  chosen  him  to  defend  her  rights  and 
privileges  as  an  independent  State,  and  the  united  South  had 
elected  him  for  its  chief.  Thus  he  had  to  keep  himself  actively 
employed,  and  not  allow  one  moment  to  be  taken  away  from 
carefully  watching  over,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  protecting  the 
interests  of  the  people  confiding  in  him. 

When  die  news  concerning  Lee's  victory  at  Fredericksburg 
reached  Richmond,  the  hopes  of  the  South  at  first  rose  high 
that  some  important  results  would  attend  the  success  of  their 
arms.  But  these  hopes  were  speedily  dashed  to  the  ground, 
when  it  was  found  that  the  Northern  army  had  been  able  to 
effect  a  successful  retreat.  People  at  a  distance  fancied  that 
Lee  could  and  should  have  wholly  annihilated  Burnside  and 
his  men,  but  they  little  knew  the  almost  utter  impossibility  of 
such  a  task  on  either  side.  There  was  the  same  amount  of  in 
domitable  courage,  the  same  skill,  more  or  less  displayed— 
the  same  fertility  of  resources — the  same  perseverance,  and 
the  same  remarkable  personal  bravery  (with  rare  exceptions) 
amongst  officers  and  privates  alike,  on  the  part  of  the  North 
as  well  as  the  South,  and  with  the  latter  as  the  former. 
Neither  could  justly  claim  a  superiority  in  these  respects. 
Both  of  the  contending  parties  were  akin  in  all  the  fearlessness 
of  character  and  heroism  of  mind  for  which  they  of  old,  in 
the  days  of  Carthage  and  of  Home,  have  been  remembered. 
And  it  is  only  the  difficulty  of  trying  to  compress,  within  a 
limited  space,  details  belonging  to  prominent  individuals,  that 
forbids  us  dwelling  with  an  admiring  pen  (though  also,  with  a 


86  SOUTHERN    GENEKALS. 

saddened  heart,  to  find  such  brave  men  fighting  against  each 
other)  upon  the  many  heroic  deeds  on  record.  We  must  let 
them  pass  now,  and  merely  confine  ourselves  to  general  events. 
A  master  mind  occasionally  does  arise  amongst  the  many  great 
and  brave  ;  and  it  is  evident  that,  for  the  South,  in  its  great 
emergencies,  General  Lee  was  that  master  mind  ;  yet  he  could 
not  do  more  than  direct,  and  plan,  and  personally  encourage 
his  brave  men.  He  could  not  annihilate  foes  who  were  equally 
brave  and  daring  as  himself,  arid,  moreover,  fought  with  the 
knowledge  that  theirs  was  a  cause  about  which  there  could  be 

O 

no  dispute  as  regarded  its  loyalty  and  national  right.  There 
fore,  when  cavils,  at  any  time,  were  raised  by  thoughtless  men 
against  their  general,  he  only  showed  a  more  noble  and  su 
perior  mind,  by  calmly  pursuing  his  way,  regardless  of  them. 

The  public  approbation,  however,  of  the  Confederate  au 
thorities,  of  the  Southern  Congress,  and  of  those  competent  to 
judge,  as  well  as  the  people  generally,  was  fully  awarded  to 
General  Lee,  and  no  terms  of  laudation  and  esteem  seem  to 
have  been  strong  enough  to  express  what  was  felt  concerning 
him.  Nor  was  he,  himself,  unmindful  to  bestow  just  praise 
upon  those  who  had  so  ably  and  cheerfully  seconded  his  efforts. 
In  a  general  order,  issued  on  the  31st  of  December,  1862,  lie 
expressed  himself  very  warmly  on  the  endurance  and  good 
conduct  of  his  troops. 


CHAPTEE  Y. 

General  Lee's  Family. — Death  of  his  Daughter. — Military  Operations  and  Cavalrj 
Exploits  ut  Beginning  of  1863. — Burnside  relieved  by  Hooker. — Movements  of  the 
Northern  Army  to  outflank  Lee.— Buttle  of  Chancellorsville. — Death  of  Stonewall 
Jackson. — Lee's  deep  Kegret  and  General  Order  on  the  Subject. — Evacuation  of  Fred- 
ericksburg. — March  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley.— Evvell  in  the  Advance. — Capture 
of  Winchester.— Crossing  the  Potomac.— Occupation  of  Chambersburg. — Personal 
Characteristics  of  Lee. — Advance  upon  Gettysburg-. — Commencement  of  the  Battle. — 
Ewell,  Anderson,  Early,  and  McLaws.— A.  P.  Hill's  bold  Assault. —Terrific  Combat. 
— Ketroat  of  the  Confederates. —General  W.  II.  F.  Lee. — Meade's  Pursuit. — Eecross- 
iug  of  the  Potomac. — End  of  the  Maryland  Campaign. 

THE  commencement  of  the  year  1863  was  signalized  by  no 
event  of  any  military  importance  as  connected  with  General 
Lee  personally.  A  family  affliction,  the  death  of  his  daughler, 
Annie  Carter  Lee,  at  Jones'  Spring,  Warren  county,  i^orth 
Carolina,  may,  however,  be  recorded  ;  but  the  private  history 
of  the  Confederate  chief — that  inner  life  of  a  great  man  which 
all  love  to  hear  about,  and  to  read — cannot  yet  be  written, 
until  by  himself,  or  another  authorized,  those  particulars  are 
given  to  the  world.  But  a  summary  of  cavalry  exploits  un 
dertaken  by  his  direction  towards  the  close  of  the  past  year 
and  the  beginning  of  this,  in  which,  as  usual,  his  sons,  nephew, 
and  personal  friends  bore  themselves  bravely,  may  be  aptly 
noticed  here.  In  his  general  order,  February  28th,  Lee  says : 

"About  the  1st  of  December,  General  Hampton,  with  a  de 
tachment  of  his  brigade,  crossed  the  upper  Kappahannock, 
surprised  two  squadrons  of  Union  cavalry,  captured  several 
commissioned  officers,  and  about  one  hundred  men,  with  their 
horses,  arms, "colors,  and  accoutrements,  without  loss  on  his 
part. 

"  On  December  4th,  General  "W.  F.  Lee's  brigade  crossed  the 
Eappahannock  below  Port  Royal,  in  skiffs,  attacked  the  en 
emy's  cavalry  pickets,  captured  forty-nine  officers  and  men, 
etc.,  and  recrossed  the  river  without  loss. 

"  On  the  llth  and  Ifith  of  December,  General  Hampton  made 
two  successful  raids  to  Dumfries  and  the  Occoquan. 


88  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

"  On  the  25th  of  December,  General  Stuart,  with  detach 
ments  of  Hampton's,  Fitzhugh  Lee's,  and  TV.  F.  Lee's  brigades, 
under  command  of  those  officers,  made  a  successful  attack 
upon  the  enemy's  rear  at  Dumfries,  Alexandria,  the  Occo- 
quan,  and  north  of  Fairfax  Court-house,  returning  to  Culpep- 
per  with  more  than  two  hundred  prisoners  and  twenty-five 
wagons." 

On  February  16th,  1863,  Captains  McNeil  and  Stamp,  of 
General  Imboden's  cavalry,  with  twenty-three  men,  attacked 
a  Union  supply-train  near  Romney,  routed  the  guard,  and  took 
a  number  of  prisoners. 

The  25th  of  February,  General  "W".  F.  Lee  attacked  and 
damaged  two  of  the  enemy's  gunboats  at  Tappahannock,  dri 
ving  them  down  the  river.  The  same  day,  General  Fitz  Hugh 
Lee,  with  four  hundred  of  his  brigade,  crossed  the  Rappahan- 
nock,  and  reconnoitred  the  enemy's  lines  to  within  a  few 
miles  of  Falmouth,  broke  through  his  outposts,  fell  upon  his 
camps,  killed  and  wounded  many,  took  one  hundred  and  fifty 
prisoners,  and  safely  returned  with  only  a  loss  of  fourteen 
killed,  wounded,  and  missing. 

The  next  day,  Brigadier-general  TV*.  E.  Jones  made  an  attack 
upon  two  cavalry  regiments  of  Milroy's  command,  in  the  Shen- 
andoah  valley,  and  routed  them,  taking  two  hundred  pris 
oners,  etc. 

Major  White,  of  General  Jones'  command,  attacked  the 
enemy's  cavalry  near  Poolesville  with  success. 

Captain  Randolph,  of  the  Black  Horse  cavalry,  had  also 
made  several  bold  reconnoissances. 

Lieutenant  Mosby,  with  his  detachment,  had  likewise  done 
much  to  harass  the  enemy. 

Sergeant  Michael,  with  seventeen  men  of  Hampton's  bri 
gade,  had,  in  like  manner,  performed  a  heroic  act  in  routing 
a  large  body  of  Federals;  "and,  in  conclusion,  adds  General 
Lee,  "  the  commanding  general  takes  special  pleasure  in  ad 
verting  to  the  promptness  of  the  officers  in  striking  a  successful 
blow  whenever  opportunity  offered,  and  the  endurance  and 
gallantry  with  which  the  men  have  always  supported  their 
commanders." 

We  will  now  return  to  the  main  body  of  the  army  and  its 
movements. 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  89 

After  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  Burnside  kept  his  posi 
tion  at  Falmouth,  until  about  the  middle  of  January,  when  he 
began  to  move  higher  up  the  Rappahannock,  with  the  object 
of  trying  to  cross  the  fords,  and  make  an  attack  upon  the 
flank  of  General  Lee.  Various  causes  prevented  this.  At 
first  the  roads  were  dry  and  hard,  but,  by  the  time  delays 
were  ended  and  the  army  really  prepared  for  the  march,  the 
weather  suddenly  became  so  bad  that  the  roads  were  almost 
impassable,  and  finally  the  Union  forces  returned  to  their  for 
mer  quarters.  Of  course  these  movements  could  not  be 
wholly  concealed  from  the  keen  eyes  of  General  Lee  and  his 
officers.  Accordingly,  at  any  moment,  the  Confederate  army 
was  fully  prepared  for  a  renewed  engagement.  Meanwhile, 
however,  another  change  in  the  command  of  the  Northern 
forces  occurred.  Burnside,  at  his  own  request,  was  relieved, 
and  Hooker  was  appointed  General-in-chief,  on  the  26th  of 
January,  1863.  From  this  date,  for  nearly  three  months 
more,  both  armies  remained  comparatively  inactive.  The 
winter  season  was  too  inclement  for  any  operations  to  be  car 
ried  on  successfully.  Raids  on  both  sides  occasionally  relieved 
the  monotony  of  camp-life,  and  in  one  of  these,  on  the  12th  of 
March,  a  portion  of  Lee's  cavalry  made  a  bold  dash  within  the 
Federal  lines  as  far  as  Fairfax  Court-house.  Brigadier-gen 
eral  Stonghton  was  taken  from  his  bed  and  carried  off,  and  a 
detachment  from  his  brigade,  with  guards,  horses,  &c.,  cap 
tured.  On  the  17th  of  March  a  sharp  conflict  took  place  be 
tween  a  body  of  cavalry  under  the  Union  General  Averill,  and 
an  equal  number  of  Lee's  dashing  horsemen  at  Kelly's  ford, 
wherein  both  sides  suffered.  At  length,  on  the  13th  of  April, 
Major-general  Stoneman,  with  detachments  of  cavalry,  in 
fantry,  and  artillery,  proceeded  to  several  places  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  the  Rappahannock  and  the  Rapidan,  as  an  advance 
to  reconnoitre  the  ground.  No  opposition  of  any  importance 
was  met  with,  and,  therefore,  General  Hooker  finally  deter 
mined  to  make  the  grand  attack. 

At  this  time,  the  end  of  April,  General  Lee's  army  was  en 
camped  along  the  Rappahannock,  from  above  Fredericksburg 
on  the  left,  to  Port  Royal  on  the  right,  and  numbered  about 
70,000  men,  while  Hooker's  army  consisted  of  about  120,000 
men,  in  the  highest  condition  and  spirits.  To  attack  Lee, 


90  SOUTHEKN    GENERALS. 

therefore,  and  fight  him  with  hopes -of  success,  Hooker  thought 
it  a  good  plan  to  make  a  feint  on  the  right  of  the  Confederate 
army,  about  three  miles  below  Fredericksburg,  and  at  the 
same  time  carry  on  a  vigorous  flank  movement  on  the  left, 
and  thus  compel  Lee  to  come  out  of  his  intrenchments.  The 
execution  of  this  plan  was  commenced  on  Monday,  the  26th 
of  April,  by  three  corps  -of  the  Union  army  marching  up  the 
river,  northwest,  some  twenty  miles,  to  a  place  called  Kelly's 
ford,  where  they  arrived  and  crossed  on  the  next  evening  and 
following  morning.  They  then  promptly  turned  round  to  the 
south,  and  before  night,  had  reached  the  Rapidan  which  runs 
from  the  west  and  unites  with  the  Rappahannock  at  about 
twelve  miles  from  Fredericksburg.  Due  south  of  this  junction, 
at  about  four  miles,  is  a  place  called  Chancellorsville,  and 
thither  the  three  Union  corps,  joined  by  Stoneman's  cavalry, 
and  afterwards  by  another  corps — the  Second — made  their 
way.  They  all  arrived  without  the  slightest  interruption,  on 
Thursday  night,  April  29th,  and  General  Hooker  here  made 
his  headquarters. 

Meanwhile,  the  other  part  of  Hooker's  plan  of  attack  was 
being  carried  out  at  the  same  time.  Three  other  corps  were 
sent  down  the  river  to  a  place  called  Deep  Run,  there  to  cross 
and  make  show  of  attacking  Lee  in  great  force.  This  was 
done,  still  without  molestation,  and  so  certain  did  the  Federal 
troops  now  appear  of  success  that  Hooker,  on  the  next  day, 
April  30th,  issued  the  following  order : — 

"  It  is  with  heartfelt  satisfaction  that  the  commanding  gen 
eral  announces  to  the  army  that  the  operations  of  the  last 
three  days  have  determined  that  our  enemy  must  either  in- 
gloriously  fly,  or  come  out  from  behind  his  defences  and  give 
us  battle  on  our  own  ground  where  certain  destruction  awaits' 
him.  The  operations  of  the  Fifth,  Eleventh,  and  Twelfth 
corps  have  been  a  succession  of  splendid  achievements." 

That  such  elation  did  seem  justifiable  at  the  time,  may  be 
gathered  from  the  fact  that,  apparently,  Lee  and  his  army 
were  indeed  completely  entrapped.  Longstreet,  at  that  pe 
riod,  was  not  with  Lee,  having  previously  been  detached  with 
his  corps,  and  sent  to  face  the  enemy  then  advancing  upon 
Suffolk,  in  Southeast  Virginia.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
Stonewall  Jackson  and  his  veterans  had  joined  him,  and  was 


GENERAL   ROBERT    EDMUND   LEE.  91 

now  stationed  on  the  right.  Still,  what  means  of  retreat  were 
there,  if  it  was  necessary  for  the  army  to  fall  back  ?  The  only 
road  of  communication  with  the  rear,  was  by  the  railway  from 
Fredericksburg  to  Richmond,  or  the  turnpike  from  the  same 
place  to  Gordonsville,  passing  through  Chancellorsville,  and 
this  was  now  in  possession  of  the  enemy.  Moreover,  the  cav 
alry  force  of  General  Stoneman  had  been  sent  to  cut  up  the 
communication  by  rail  with  Richmond,  and  thus  completely 
isolate  Lee's  army.  Well,  then,  might  the  Federal  com 
mander  congratulate  himself  and  his  forces  at  this  having  been 
so  speedily,  and  apparently  so  successfully  accomplished. 
But  where,  then,  was  the  acute  and  clear-sighted  Lee  ?  Could 
he  be  insensible  to  what  was  going  on  ?  Not  he  ! — no,  not 
for  one  moment,  had  he  allowed  what  was  taking  place  to  es 
cape  his  closest  observation  ;  and  beneath  a  calm  and  seem 
ingly  indifferent  exterior — at  least  to  those  who  knew  him  not 
—not  to  his  brave  and  trusting  troops — he  was  silently  plan 
ning  the  means  for  a  more  effectual  overthrow  of  his  enemy,* 
and  even  while  the  congratulatory  order  of  Hooker  was  being 
issued,  Lee  was  in  the  act  of  bursting  upon  him  with  an  effect 
that  soon  completely  altered  the  tone  of  joy  to  one  of  dismal 
foreboding.  He  had  allowed  the  crossing  of  the  Rappahan- 
nock  on  his  left,  and  likewise  the  crossing  of  the  river  on  his 
right,  that  he  might  thoroughly  penetrate  the  enemy's  design 
before  making  any  movement  of  his  own  that  might  possibly 
weaken  himself.  It  became  evident  to  him  that  the  strategy 
of  McDowell  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  was  now  being 
adopted  by  Hooker  ;  and,  therefore,  on  the  night  of  Thursday, 
April  29th,  he  ordered  General  Jackson  to  leave  one  division 
to  watch  the  enemy  on  the  right — already  lessened  by  the  de 
tachment  of  one  of  the  three  corps  sent  to  join  Hooker — and 
inarch  rapidly  to  the  extreme  left,  where  a  portion  of  Ms  for 
ces,  under  Anderson  and  McLaws  had  already  been  forwarded 
in  advance  to  watch  the  Union  army.  Jackson,  characteris 
tically,  started  on  his  march  at  midnight,  and  in  the  morning 
joined  the  forces  in  advance.  He  then  proceeded  towards 
Chancellorsville,  and  between  that  place  and  Fredericksburg, 
encountered  Sykes'  division  of  General  Meade's  corps,  thrown 
forward  by  Hooker  to  reconnoitre.  Some  heavy  firing  ensued, 
but  the  Union  forces  fell  back  according  to  previous  orders, 


92  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

and,  as  night  approached,  Jackson  halted  to  get  up  the  whole 
of  his  command,  and  better  prepare  for  the  next  day.  That 
evening  General  Lee  arrived  with  such  additional  forces  as  he 
deemed  it  prudent  to  withdraw  from  their  intrenchrnents,  and 
immediately  a  consultation  was  held. 

The  position  attained  by  Hooker  was  indeed  a  most  formi 
dable  one.  Chancellorsville  is  eleven  miles  from  Fredericks 
burg,  and  about  four  miles  from  the  point  of  confluence  of  the 
two  rivers,  and  consisted  of  a  large  two-story  brick  house, 
formerly  kept  as  a  tavern,  and  a  few  outhouses.  It  is  situated 
on  the  plank-road  leading  to  Orange  Court-house,  and  is  easily 
approached  by  roads  from  the  several  fords  of  the  Rapid  an 
and  Rappahannook.  Between  Chancellorsville  and  the  Rapi- 
dan  lies  "The  "Wilderness,"  a  district  of  country  formerly 
covered  with  a  scrubby  black-jack,  oaks,  and  -a  thick,  tangled 
undergrowth,  but  now  somewhat  cleared  up.  The  ground 
around  Chancellorsville  was  heavily  timbered,  and  favorable 
for  defence.  Seven  miles  from  Chancellorsville,  on  the  road 
to  Fredericksburg,  and  four  miles  from  the  latter  place,  is 
Salem  Church. 

It  was  at  Chancellorsville,  Hooker  had  formed  a  double  line 
of  battle,  resembling  the  two  sides  of  a  square — his  right  rang 
ing  along  the  plank- road  nearly  east  and  west,  his  left  extend 
ing  towards  the  river,  nearly  north  and  south — the  apex,  where 
the  two  lines  of  battle  joined  each  other,  being  near  the  Old 
Chancellor  house.  In  front  of  these  lines  the  dense  timber  of 
the  region  had  been  felled  so  as  to  form  an  almost  impassable 
series  of  abattis :  in  rear  of  this  were  elaborate  ranges  of  earth- 

O 

works  for  infantry;  and  behind,  as  upon  either  flank — wher 
ever,  indeed,  a  position  could  be  obtained — the  hills  bristled 
with  artillery,  completely  protected  from  attack  by  felled, 
timber. 

During  the  consultation  between  Generals  Lee  and  Jackson; 
it  was  seen  that  to  storm  Hooker  in  front  would  be  vain,  with 
out  a  frightful  loss  of  life.  Consequently,  a  suggestion  made 
by  the  heroic  Jackson,  that  he  should  attempt  a  flank  move 
ment  to  the  left,  was  assented  to.  But  even  this  was  a  task 
almost  impossible,  as  was  thought,  in  the  time  necessary  to  be 
effective.  A  road  had  to  be  actually  cut  through  the  forest 
protecting  Hooker's  advanced  right,  and  this  was  done  under 


GENERAL    EGBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  93 

the  most  extreme  difficulties,  and,  necessarily,  with  much 
secrecy.  General  Fitz  Hugh  Lee's  brigade  of  cavalry  was  dis 
posed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  guard  the  front  and  flanks  of 
the  column  as  it  advanced,  from  observation  on  the  part  of 
the  enemy,  by  driving  off  scouting  parties  and  acting  as  pio 
neers. 

Diverging  to  the  left  from  the  plank-road,  the  command, 
which  now  consisted  of  three  divisions  only,  and  the  cavalry, 
moved  to  and  passed  the  point  known  as  "The  Furnace,''  and 
thence  proceeded  towards  the  road  leading  to  Gordonsville, 
crossing  it  near  its  junction  with  the  road  "to  Germania  ford. 
It  was  along  this  road  that  the  main  body  of  Hooker's  right 
was  posted,  and  to  get  round  this,  it  was  necessary  for  Jackson 
to  move  still  farther  to  the  left.  Accordingly,  the  march  was 
continued,  the  cavalry  moving  upon  the  flank,  as  well  as  the 
dense  undergrowth  of  timber  in  the  wilderness  permitted. 
Thus,  apparently  screened  from  the  enemy,  the  head  of  the 
column  reached  Germania  ford,  about  half  a  mile  east  of  the 
old  Wilderness  post-office.  At  this  point,  General  Fitz  Hugh 
Lee  informed  General  Jackson  that  by  ascending  a  neighbor 
ing  hill,  he  could  obtain  a  view  of  the  position  of  the  enemy, 
and  perhaps  be  taken  for  a  mere  simple  vidette.  He  did  so, 
accompanied  by  one  or  two  of  his  staff,  and  saw  at  a  glance 
the  enemy's  position.  Instantly,  he  turned  to  one  of  his  aids, 
and  said  briefly,  "Tell  my  column  to  cross  that  road,"  and 
then  hastening  back  to  the  head  of  his  command,  gave  orders 
to  prepare  for  action. 

It  is  not  in  our  power,  here,  to  give  the  details  of  this  bat 
tle.  All  WQ  can  do  is  to  hurriedly  sketch  such  movements  as 
were  undertaken  by  the  contending  parties  respectively,  under 
Generals  Lee  and  Hooker,  while  we  occasionally  introduce  the 
names  of  the  other  actors  in  the  engagement,  that  belong  to 
this  especial  work. 

The  attempt  of  Jackson  to  effect  a  flank  movement,  by  sur 
prise  on  Hooker's  right,  was  not  so  successful  as  he  had  sup 
posed.  The  Union  forces  were  commanded  by  shrewd  and 
skilful  generals,  who  closely  watched  every  motion  made  by 
Lee  and  his  men.  Accordingly,  the  advance  of  Jackson  had 
been  perceived,  and,  to  ascertain  its  true  character,  General 
Sickles  was  sent  by  Hooker  with  a  reconnoissance  in  force 


9i  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

towards  the  quarter  threatened.  At  the  same  time  certain 
divisions  were  pushed  to  the  front,  and  were  speedily  engaged 
with  General  Lee's  command,  under  McLaws  and  Anderson. 

It  was  about  5  p.  M.  on  Saturday,  May  2d,  when  the  fight 
began,  by  Rodes'  and  A.  P.  Hill's  divisions,  under  orders  of 
Jackson,  rushing  to  the  assault,  and  so  fierce  and  sudden  was 
the  attack,  that,  in  a  short  time,  the  Federal  troops  opposed 
to  it  (principally  the  Eleventh  Corps)  gave  way.  In  a  few 
moments  more  they  threw  down  their  arms,  and  fled  towards 
headquarters  in  the  wildest  disorder,  Jackson's  men  pressing 
the  advantage  with  renewed  vigor.  Thus,  on  their  right  and 
rear,  the  Union  forces  found  themselves  furiously  attacked 
and  driven  back  by  General  Jackson's  command,  while  in 
their  front,  Lee  himself,  with  Anderson  and  McLaws,  not 
only  stood  their  ground,  but  succeeded  in  preventing  any 
advantage  being  obtained  by  the  entrapped  foe.  Hooker  sent 
up  reinforcements  to  his  right,  but  it  was  evident  that  noth 
ing  could  retrieve  what  had  already  been  lost.  Night  came 
on,  but  a  bright  moon  soon  rose  to  shed  its  calm  and  holy 
light  upon  the  terrible  scene,  and  the  fighting  still  continued, 
with  the  same  success  for  the  Confederate  arms. 

It  was  at  this  time,  about  nine  o'clock,  when  Jackson — the 
esteemed  and  admired,  alike  of  friend  and  foe — met  his  death, 
and  that,  most  lamentably,  at  the  hands  of  his  own  men.  He 
had  been,  with  his  staff,  reconnoitering,  when,  on  returning,  a 
regiment  of  his  command,  mistaking  the  general  and  his  com 
panions  for  a  party  of  the  foe,  fired  upon  them,  killing  one  or 
two  on  the  spot,  and  so  severely  wounding  their  beloved  com 
mander  that  he  died  soon  afterwards.  No  words  can  possi 
bly  convey  the  anguish  and  mourning  that  followed,  not 
merely  among  his  own  soldiers,  but  everywhere.  General 
Lee,  on  hearing  that  he  was  wounded,  immediately  addressed 
him  a  note,  as  follows : 

"  General :  I  have  just  received  your  note,  informing  me 
that  you  are  wounded.  I  cannot  express  my  regret  at  the 
occurrence.  Could  I  have  directed  events,  I  should  have 
chosen,  for  the  good  of  the  country,  to  have  been  disabled  in 
your  stead.  I  congratulate  you  upon  the  victory  which  is  due 
to  your  skill  and  energy."  And,  when  it  was  known  that  he 
was  dead,  a  general  order  was  issued  by  Lee,  expressive  of  the 


GENERAL   ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  95 

great  grief  felt,  and  eulogizing  the  departed  hero  in  the  highest 
terms. 

General  A.  P.  Hill  now  took  command  of  the  Confederate 
left,  but  soon  afterwards  was  himself  wounded,  and  obliged  to 
relinquish  it  to  General  Rodes,  who  yielded  it  to  General  G. 
II.  Stuart,  on  his  arrival.  The  latter  renewed  the  fight,  and 

O         > 

compelled  the  enemy's  right  wholly  to  give  way. 

Sunday  morning  the  battle  still  raged,  and  with  increased 
fury.  In  every  direction  the  Union  forces  were  made  to 
retreat,  and  at  one  time  it  was  thought  by  the  Confederate 
army,  that  Hooker's  was  certain  of  entire  capture,  so  com 
pletely  did  they  seem  hemmed  in.  But  this  was  not  so. 
General  Lee  soon  perceived  that  the  enemy  were  still  in  force, 
toward  the  river,  and,  moreover,  heard  that  Sedgwick  was 
advancing  on  his  rear,  from  where  he  had  crossed  below 
Fredericksburg.  This  movement  necessarily  compelled  Lee 
to  turn  and  meet  the  new  foe,  who  had  succeeded  in  tem 
porarily  defeating  the  force,  left  at  the  lower  crossing,  under 
Early  and  Barksdale.  Accordingly  the  divisions  of  Anderson 
and  McLaws  were  sent  back  towards  Fredericksburg,  to  check 
Sedgwick's  advance.  This  was  successfully  done,  not,  how 
ever,  without  great  loss  to  both  parties,  and,  finally,  night 
coming  on,  the  conflict  was  for  a  short  time  closed. 

The  enemy,  however,  was  not  yet  defeated.  The  same  un 
conquerable  spirit,  and  the  same  fierce  bravery,  which  belonged 
to  Lee's  impetuous  soldiers,  was  possessed  also  by  Hooker's 
men,  and  every  inch  of  ground  was  pertinaciously  resisted. 
That  the  Union  troops  had  made  a  mistake  in  strategy,  or  in 
maturing  their  plans,  was  sad,  but  it  was  no  reason  they 
should  give  way  without  a  great  struggle ;  and,  therefore, 
during  the  night  the  Federals,  on  Hooker's  extreme  left, 
massed  a  heavy  force  against  McLaws.  Anderson  moved 
rapidly  to  his  support,  and  during  the  day,  Monday  the  4th, 
General  Lee  arrived,  having  secured  the  advantage  he  had 
gained  in  Hooker's  front,  About  4  p.  M.,  the  battle  was 
renewed  here  with  impetuous  fury,  and  in  a  short  time  Lee's 
forces  succeeded  in  driving  back  the  enemy,  and,  finally,  com 
pelling  them  to  cross  the  Rappahannock  with  great  slaughter. 
There  still  now  remained,  however,  the  principal  part  of 
Hooker's  army,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  at  the  United 


96  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

States  ford.  No  time,  therefore,  could  be  lost.  One  half  of 
the  enemy  defeated  and  effectually  forced  back,  there  was  vet 
the  rest  to  conquer,  and  conquer  them  he  must,  at  once,  if 
possible.  Accordingly,  Anderson  and  McLaws  were  ordered 
back  to  Chancellorsville  and  the  ford.  But  the  weather  now 
changed,  a  storm  of  wind  and  rain  set  in,  continuing,  without 
cessation,  until  Wednesday  forenoon,  and  during  this  time 
Hooker  recrossed  the  river,  "  leaving  the  dead  on  the  battle 
field  unburied,"  and,  owing  to  "the  rapid  rise  of  the  river," 
unmolested  from  General  Lee,  who  was  thus  unable  to  follow 
him.  Even  the  wounded  belonging  to  the  Union  army  were 
left  behind,  under  charge  of  the  medical  director,  Dr.  Luckley, 
and  not  until  a  week  afterwards,  May  12th,  were  they  able,  some 
1,200  in  number,  to  be  returned  to  their  own  camp.  They  were, 
however,  as  kindly  treated  as  possible,  by  General  Lee,  consider 
ing  his  already  straitened  means,  and  he  even  sent  a  flag  of  truce 
to  General  Hooker  for  supplies  for  them,  stating  that  his  own 
medicines  and  hospital  stores  were  exhausted. 

The  two  armies  now  re-established  themselves  in  their  old 
positions,  remaining  inactive  for  some  little  time ;  but  the 
effect  of  the  late  week's  battles  was  of  even  more  importance 
than  perhaps  appeared.  It  proved  the  undoubted  superiority 
of  generalship  on  the  part  of  Lee  and  his  officers,  while  it  also 
contributed  greatly  to  strengthen  the  moral  power  and  prestige 
of  the  South.  Indeed,  this  was  fairly  and  honorably  admitted 
by  several  of  the  Northern  journals  when  commenting  on  the 
battle,  and,  in  speaking  of  the  defeat  the  Union  forces  had 
received,  it  was  said,  "We  had  men  enough,  well  enough 
equipped,  and  well  enough  posted  to  have  devoured  the 
ragged,  imperfectly  armed  and  equipped  host  of  our  enemies 
from  off  the  face  of  the  earth.  Their  artillery  horses  were 
poor,  starved  frames  of  beasts,  tied  on  to  their  carriages  and 
caissons  with  odds  and  ends  of  rope  and  strips  of  raw  hide.  . 

And  yet  they  have  beaten  us  fairly,  beaten  us  all  to 

pieces,  beaten  us  so  easily  that  we  are  objects  of  contempt 
even  to  their  commonest  private  soldiers,  with  no  shirts  to 
hang  out  of  the  holes  in  their  pantaloons,  and  cartridge-boxes 
tied  round  their  waists  with  strands  of  rope." 

On  the  7th  of  May,  General  Lee  issued  an  address  to  his 
army,  congratulating  his  officers  and  men  for  "  the  heroic 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  97 

conduct  they  had  displayed  under  trying  vicissitudes  of  heat 
and  storm,  in  a  tangled  wilderness,  and  again  on  the  hills  of 
Fredericksburg,"  and  inviting  them  to  unite  on  the  following 
Sunday  "  in  ascribing  to  the  Lord  of  Hosts  the  glory  due  his 
name."  At  the  same  time,  a  letter  from  President  Davis  was 
read,  wherein  he  said  to  General  Lee :  "  In  the  name  of  the 
people,  I  offer  my  cordial  thanks  to  you  and  the  troops  under 
your  command,  for  this  addition  to  the  unprecedented  series 
of  great  victories  which  your  army  has  achieved.  The  univer 
sal  rejoicing  produced  by  this  happy  result,  will  be  mingled 
with  a  general  regret  for  the  good  and  the  brave  who  are 
numbered  among  the  killed  and  the  wounded." 

It  might  be  supposed  after  this,  that  General  Lee's  mind 
would  have  been  quietly  resting  awhile ;  but  not  so.  Like  his 
father,  "  Light  Horse  Harry,"  he  was  determined  to  follow 
up  every  advantage  where,  by  so  doing,  an  object  of  impor 
tance  could  be  gained.  That  object,  especially  dear  to  himself 
and  to  every  Virginian  in  his  army,  as  well  as  necessary  to 
the  South,  was  to  compel  the  Union  forces  to  evacuate  the 
State  and  fall  back  on  their  own  Federal  soil.  Accordingly, 
various  cavalry  reconnoissances  were  made  along  the  Rapidan, 
and,  finally,  Ewell,  who  had  succeeded  to  Jackson's  command, 
was  rapidly  inarched  across  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains,  by 
way  of  Front  Royal,  into  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  upon  Win 
chester.  There  he  quickly  defeated  General  Milroy,  and  then, 
promptly  moved  up  to  the  Potomac,  where  he  occupied  all 
the  fords. 

Meanwhile  certain  movements  in  Lee's  army,  at  Fredericks- 
burg,  led  General  Hooker  to  suppose  that  some  of  the  Con 
federate  forces  had  been  withdrawn  ;  and,  accordingly,  on  the 
5th  of  June  a  strong  reconnoissance  was  sent  across  the  river 
on  Lee's  right.  Some  skirmishing  ensued,  but  Lee's  strategy 
was  again  displayed  by  masking  his  real  strength,  and  by  an 
appearance  of  greater  means  than  he  actually  had,  leading  his 
enemy  to  suppose  his  entire  army  was  still  there. 

At  this  time,  the  beginning  of  June,  the  Confederate  Army 
had  been  completely  reorganized,  and  filled  up,  and  it  was  in 
tended  by  Lee,  in  conjunction  with  the  authorities  at  Rich 
mond,  once  more  to  attempt  a  blow  on  the  enemy,  within  their 
own  States.  For  this  purpose,  on  the  3d  of  June,  a  part  of  the 

7 


98  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

army  left  Fredericksburg  for  Culpepper  Court-house,  and,  after 
the  Federal  reconnoissance  of  the  5th,  was  joined,  on  the  8th, 
by  Longstreet  and  Ewell, — the  cavalry  under  General  Stuart 
also  being  concentrated  there.  On  the  following  day  an  at 
tack  was  made  by  the  Union  cavalry,  on  this  force  of  Stuart's. 
A  severe  engagement  ensued,  and  continued  until  late  in  the 
afternoon,  when  the  enemy  was  forced  to  retire,  leaving  nearly 
four  hundred  prisoners  behind. 

Lee  having  evacuated  Fredericksburg,  now  marched  rapidly 
forward  in  pursuance  of  his  plans,  while  Hooker,  withdraw 
ing  from  the  line  of  the  Rappahannock,  took  up  a  strong  po 
sition  at  Manassas  and  Centreville,  so  as  to  interpose  his  army 
between  the  Confederate  forces  and  Washington.  But  in  the 
mean  time  Lee  had  pushed  on  the  rest  of  his  forces,  and  merely 
so  played  with  the  enemy  as  to  mislead  him  entirely.  Indeed, 
so  well  was  this  done,  that  an  impression  began  to  prevail  in 
the  North,  that  all  fear  of  an  invasion  into  Pennsylvania  might 
be  cast  aside,  and  the  Governor  of  New  Jersey  went  so  far  in 
this  feeling  of  confidence,  that  his  troops  were  recalled.  Lee, 
however,  was  even  then  well  on  his  way.  Hooker  had  followed 
him  to  the  passes  of  the  Blue  ridge,  but  was  so  uncertain 
whether  he  meant  to  give  battle  there  or  move  up  the  valley, 
that  time  was  lost,  and  instead  of  bringing  the  point  to  an 
issue  at  once  in  Virginia,  the  Federal  commander  had  to  hastily 
cross  the  Potomac,  and  take  position  in  Maryland.  There  he 
was  in  hopes  that  Lee  would  give  him  battle,  but  again  was 
disappointed  ;  for  that  able  general  had,  after  a  skirmish  be 
tween  the  cavalry  of  Stuart  and  Pleasanton,  promptly  followed 
his  advanced  forces  up  the  Shenandoah,  and  on  the  24th  of 
June  crossed  the  Potomac,  in  the  vicinity  of  Shepherdstown. 
The  corps  of  General  Ewell  had  preceded  Lee  two  days  before, 
and  on  the  23d  had  occupied  Chambersburg,  where  a  most 
praiseworthy  order  was  issued  against  the  sale  or  use  of  intox 
icating  liquors  in  his  army  without  permission  of  a  Major- 
general.  Lee  himself,  immediately  after  his  arrival,  issued 
very  stringent  orders  against  "unnecessary  or  wanton  injury 
to  private  property,"  and  enjoined  upon  his  officers  "to  arrest, 
and  bring  to  punishment  all  who  shall  in  any  way  offend." 
Indeed  his  whole  order  on  this  subject  is  most  praiseworthy, 
and  truly  Christian  in  spirit. 


GENERAL    ROBERT   EDMUND   LEE.  99 

On  the  27th  of  June,  the  whole  of  Lee's  army  was  at  Cham- 
bersburg.  Preparations  had  been  made  to  advance  on  Harris- 
bnrg,  but  the  design  was  abandoned  on  the  29th,  in  consequence 
of  information  that  the  Federal  army  was  moving  northwards, 
and  so  menacing  the  communications  of  the  Confederate  army 
with  the  Potomac.  To  check  the  Federal  advance,  therefore, 
Generals  Longstreet,  Hill,  and  Ewell  were  ordered  to  proceed  to 
Gettysburg.  But,  before  we  give  any  particulars  of  the  battle 
that  here  followed,  let  us  again,  for  a  moment  or  two,  speak  of 
General  Lee  himself,  not  forgetting  that  since  the  sixth  of  June, 
and  thus  within  twenty  days,  he  had  brought  his  entire  army 
from  Fredericksburg,  by  the  way  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  to 
Gettysburg,  in  Pennsylvania,  without  obstruction.  This,  as 
has  been  justly  said,  will  rank  with  some  of  the  most  remark 
able  marches  on  record,  even  though  others  have  been  per 
formed  by  brave  and  enduring  men,  under  Sherman,  Rose- 
crans,  Blunt,  Grant,  and  other  eminent  leaders,  not  omitting 
the  extraordinary  and  hazardous  retreat  with  Hunter,  across 
and  along  the  mountains  in  Southwest  Virginia.  But,  when 
Lee  set  out  upon  this  northern  expedition,  he  was  confronted 
by  one  of  the  largest  and  best-appointed  armies  the  enemy  ever 
had  on  the  field.  Winchester,  Martinsburg,  Harper's  Ferry, 
and  Berry  villc  were  garrisoned  by  hostile  forces,  and  the  Union 
cavalry. were  in  splendid  condition.  Yet,  General  Lee  marched 
along  the  Rappahannock,  over  the  passes  of  the  Blue  Ridge 
mountains,  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  across  the  fords  of 
the  Potomac,  into  Pennsylvania,  without  his  progress  being 
arrested. 

At  this  time,  General  Lee  was  in  every  jrespect  a  most  popu 
lar  man,  and  deservedly  so.  Even  his  opponents,  with  some 
few  partisan  exceptions,  gave  him  that  honorable  meed  of 
praise  which  was  his  due.  Bearing  in  mind  that  he  was  a 
Virginian,  and  had  forsaken  a  splendid  home  and  rich  estate 
in  defence  of  what  he  considered  to  be  the  just  cause,  only  one 
opinion  as  to  the  disinterestedness  and  integrity  of  his  motives 
could  be  given,  though  the  wisdom  of  his  course  may  cer 
tainly  be  much  questioned.  His  personal  character  was  also 
above  reproach  ;  and,  as  we  have  shown,  even  in  his  military 
operations,  every  possible  forbearance  and  kindly  disposition, 
was  evinced  by  him  towards  a  foe.  A  foreign  writer,  in  speak- 


100  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

ing  of  him  at  this  date,  says  :  "  General  Lee  is,  almost  with 
out  exception,  the  handsomest  man  of  his  age  I  ever  saw.  He 
is  fifty-six  years  old,  tall,  broadshouldered.  very  well  made, 
well  set  up — a  thorough  soldier  in  appearance — and  his  man 
ners  are  most  courteous,  and  full  of  dignity.  He  is  a  perfect 
gentleman  in  every  respect.  I  imagine  no  man  has  so  few 
enemies,  or  is  so  universally  esteemed.  Throughout  the  South 
all  agree  in  pronouncing  him  as  near  perfection  as  a  man  can 
be.  He  has  none  of  the  small  vices,  such  as  smoking,  drink 
ing,  chewing,  or  swearing  ;  and  his  bitterest  enemy  never  ac 
cused  him  of  any  of  the  greater  ones.  He  generally  wears  a 
well-worn,  long,  gray  jacket,  a  high,  black  felt  hat,  and  blue 
trowsers,  tucked  into  his  Wellington  boots.  I  never  saw  him 
carry  arms;  and  the  only  marks  of  his  military  rank  are  the 
three  stars  on  his  collar.  He  rides  a  handsome  horse,  which 
is  extremely  well  groomed.  He  himself  is  very  neat  in  his 
dress  and  person  ;  and  in  the  most  arduous  inarches  he  always 
looks  smart  and  clean." 

The  same  writer  adds,  that  he  understood  Lee  never  to  have 
slept  in  a  house  since  commanding  the  Virginia  army,  and  he 
had  invariably  declined  all  offers  of  hospitality,  fearing  that  the 
person  offering  it  might  afterwards  get  into  trouble  on  account 
of  having  sheltered  him.  In  fact,  whatever  may  be  the  ideas 
of  persons  interested  on  either  side  of  the  war  as  to  its  conduct 
and  that  of  its  leaders,  no  one  of  honest  impartiality  can  deny 
to  General  Lee  the  credit  of  being  a  perfect  Christian  gentle 
man,  a  brave,  skilful  soldier,  and  a  thoroughly  unambitious, 
unselfish  man.  And  thus,  under  such  a  leader,  united  with 
subordinate  chiefs  of  similar  virtues,  and  all  devoted  to  the 
cause  in  which  they  had  embarked,  did  the  Confederate  army 
inarch  to  the  battlefield  of  Gettysburg. 

On  the  26th  of  June,  General  Lee  encamped  on  the  turn 
pike-road,  three  quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  town  of  Gettys 
burg,  and  so  particular  was  he  as  regards  any  thing  that  might 
seem  to  press  harshly  upon  the  inhabitants  around,  that  he  was 
very  chary  of  giving  passes,  even  to  officers  of  rank,  to  visit 
Chambersburg,  or  elsewhere.  ~No  private  houses  were  al 
lowed  to  be  entered  on  any  pretence  whatever,  not  even  to 
procure  rations  for  the  troops ;  and  the  stringent  order  already 
mentioned,  was  issued  by  him  against  all  manner  of  retaliation. 


GENERAL  ROBERT  EDMUND  LEE.  101 

This  order  was  tolerably  well  received  by  his  troops,  but,  in 
such  a  large  army,  where  so  many  bad  characters  are  sure  to 
be  found,  it  was,  as  is  always  the  case,  impossible  to  prevent 
instances  of  plunder  and  pillage.  This  is  true  of  both  sides  in 
the  war,  and  should  be  fairly  admitted  when  speaking  of  ruin 
and  devastation,  either  by  the  North  or  the  South  ;  and  no 
doubt  it  is  equally  true,  as  it  assuredly  is  of  Lee,  that  other 
generals,  in  common  with  him,  not  only  used  every  effort  to 
protect  private  property  and  non-combatants,  but  also  severely 
punished  delinquents  when  guilty  of  any  breach  of  this  com 
mand. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  Hill's  division,  joined  afterwards  by 
Swell's  during  the  engagement,  came  up  with  the  Federals, 
who  were  driven  through  Gettysburg  with  heavy  loss.  The 
Federals  retreated  to  a  high  range  of  hills,  and  the  attack  was 
not  pressed  that  afternoon,  as  the  Confederates  did  not  know 
the  force  of  the  enemy.  General  Lee,  in  his  report,  says  :  "  It 
had  not  been  intended  to  fight  a  general  battle  at  such  dis 
tance  from  our  base,  unless  attacked  by  the  enemy  ;  but  find 
ing  ourselves  unexpectedly  confronted  by  the  Federal  army, 
it  became  a  matter  of  difficulty  to  withdraw  through  the  moun 
tains  with  our  large  trains.  At  the  same  time  the  country 
was  unfavorable  for  collecting  supplies,  while  in  the  presence 
of  the  enemy's  main  body,  as  he  was  enabled  to  restrain  our 
foraging  parties  by  occupying  the  passes  of  the  mountains 
with  regular  and  local  troops.  A  battle  thus  became,  in  a 
measure,  unavoidable.  Encouraged  by  the  successful  issue  of 
the  first  day,  and  in  view  of  the  valuable  results  which  would 
ensue  from  the  defeat  of  the  army  of  General  Meade,*  it  was 
thought  advisable  to  renew  the  attack. 

O 

"  On  the  following  day,  abou-t  two  in  the  afternoon,  the  Fed 
eral  position  was  again  assaulted.  Unfortunately,  on  the  pre 
vious  day,  when  the  enemy  were  driven  through  Gettysburg, 
they  had  obtained  possession  of  the  high  range  of  hills  south 
and  east  of  the  town,  and  were  so  posted  as  to  make  its  posi 
tion  almost  impregnable. 

"The  town  of  Gettysburg  is  situated  upon  the  northern 
slope  of  this  ridge  of  hills  or  mountain  range,  and  about  one 

*  Hooker  had  been  relieved  at  his  own  request,  and  Meade  appointed. 


102  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

and  a  half  or  two  miles  from  its  summit.  The  western  slope 
of  this  range  was  in  cultivation,  except  small  patches  where 
the  mountain-side  is  so  precipitous  as  to  defy  the  efforts  of  the 
farmer  to  hring  it  into  subjection  to  the  ploughshare.  At  the 
foot  of  the  mountain  is  a  narrow  valley,  from  a  mile  to  two 
miles  wide,  broken  in  small  ridges  running  parallel  with  tho 
mountains.  On  the  western  side  of  the  valley  rises  a  long 
high  hill,  mostly  covered  with  heavy  timber,  but  greatly  in 
ferior  in  altitude  to  the  mountain  range  upon  which  the  enemy 
had  taken  position,  only  running  nearly  parallel  with  it.  The 
valley  between  this  ridge  ami  the  mountain  was  in  cultivation, 
and  the  fields  were  yellow  with  golden  harvest.  About  four 
or  five  miles  south  of  Gettysburg,  the  mountain  rises  abruptly 
to  an  altitude  of  several  hundred  feet.  Upon  this  the  enemy 
rested  his  left  flank,  his  right  being  upon  the  crest  of  the  range 
near  Gettysburg. 

"  The  Confederate  line  of  battle  was  formed  along  the  western 
slope  of  the  second  and  inferior  range  described  above,  and  in 
the  following  order, — Swell's  corps  on  the  left,  beginning  at 
the  town  with  Early's  division,  then  Rodes'  division  ;  on  the 
right  of  Rodes'  was  the  left  of  Hill's  corps,  commencing 
with  Ileth's,  then  Fender's,  and  Anderson's  divisions.  On 
the  right  of  Anderson  was  Longstreet's  left — McLaw's  be 
ing  next  to  Anderson,  and  Hood  on  the  extreme  right  of 
the  line,  which  was  opposite  the  enemy's  left  on  the  highest 
eminence." 

It  was  not  until  the  afternoon  that  the  attack  a^ain  com- 

O 

menced.  General  Lee  gave  the  orders  for  Longstreet  to  begin, 
and  then,  in  quick  succession,  the  other  divisions  to  follow 
him.  Thia  was  done.  Longstreet  was  gallantly  met  by  Gen 
eral  Sickles  who,  for  two  hours,  stood  firm  against  the  assault, 
and  then  fell  back,  but,  the  wavering  line  having  been  rein 
forced  from  Meade's  centre,  the  Confederates  were  repulsed  in 
that  quarter  with  great  loss.  The  divisions  of  McLaws  and 
Anderson  attacked  the  centre  of  Meade,  and  fought  with  ter 
rific  fury,  but  after  again  and  again  charging  up  the  steep 
sides  of  the  hills  on  which  the  enemy  were  posted,  they,  also, 
had  to  retire.  On  the  Confederate  left,  Ewell  had  made  an 
attack  upon  the  high  ground  before  him,  and  General  G.  II. 
Stewart  achieved  some  success,  but,  here  again,  the  enemy 


GENERAL  ROBERT  EDMUND  LEE.  103 

came  forward  with  reinforcements-,  and  finally  compelled  him 
to  retire.  Thus,  in  this  day's  fight,  the  advantage  was  decid 
edly  in  favor  of  the  North. 

Meanwhile,  and  directly  the  firing  began,  General  Lee  had 
joined  Hill  just  below  a  tree,  and  remained  there  nearly  all 
the  time  looking  through  his  field-glass,  sometimes  talking  to 

O  ^  £T*  O 

Hill,  and  sometimes  to  Colonel  Long,  of  his  staff.  But  generally 
he  sat  quite  alone,  on  the  stump  of  a  tree;  and  during  the 
whole  time  the  firing  continued  he  sent  only  one  message,  and 
received  only  one  report.  It  was  evidently  his  system  to  ar 
range  the  plan  thoroughly  with  the  three  corps  commanders, 
and  then  leave  to  them  the  duty  of  modifying  and  carrying  it 
out  to  the  best  of  their  abilities. 

Soon  after  7  P.  M.  the  following  report  came  to  General 
Lee  by  signal  from  Longstreet,  "  We  are  doing  well,"  and  a 
little  before  dark  the  firing  dropped  off  in  every  direction,  and 
soon  ceased  altogether.  Intelligence  then  came  that  Long- 
street,  had  carried  every  thing  before  him  for  some  time,  captur 
ing  several  batteries  and  driving  the  enemy  from  his  positions. 
But  when  Hill's  Florida  brigade  and  some  other  troops  gave 
way,  he  was  forced  to  abandon  a  small  portion  of  the  ground 
he  had  won,  together  with  all  Uie  captured  guns  except  three. 
His  troops,  however,  bivouacked  during  the  night  on  ground 
occupied  by  the  enemy  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  day. 

By  6  o'clock  next  morning  (July  3d)  General  Lee  was 
again  in  the  saddle,  and,  with  Longstreet  and  his  staff,  com 
menced  reconnoitering  and  making  preparations  for  renewing 
the  attack.  As  they  rode  along,  and  being  rather  a  large 
party,  they  often  drew  upon  themselves  the  attention  of  the 
hostile  sharpshooters,  and  were  two  or  three  times  favored  w^ith 
a  shell.  One  of  these  shells  set  a  brick  building  on  fire  which 
was  situated  between  the  lines.  This  building  was  filled  with 
wounded,  principally  Union  men,  who  thus  must  have  perished 
miserably  in  the  flames.  As  General  Lee  rode  along,  some  of 
the  dead  were  being  buried,  but  great  numbers  were  still  lying 
about,  also  many  mortally  wounded,  for  whom  nothing  could 
be  done.  Amongst  the  latter  were  several  of  the  Union  troops 
dressed  in  the  Zouave  costume,  and  these  opened  their  glazed 
eves  upon  the  Confederate  general  in  a  painful,  imploring  man 
ner.  Alas!  with  all  his  desire  to  abate  their  present  suffering, 


104:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

lie  could  do  nothing  then.  His  mind,  and  all  his  faculties 
were  engrossed  by  the  important  considerations  involved  in  the 
next  movement  he  should  make. 

During  the  morning  of  this  eventful  day — a  day  that  was  to 
decide  the  great  battle — "one  of  the  most  terrific  combats  of 
modern  times,  in  which  more  than  two  hundred  cannon  were 
belching  forth  their  thunders  at  one  time,  and  nearly  200,000 
muskets  were  being  discharged  as  rapidly  as  men,  hurried  with 
excitement  and  passion,  could  load  them,"  the  fighting  was 
renewed  on  the  Confederate  left,  and  during  this  time  General 
Lee  ascended  the  College  cupola  in  Gettysburg  to  reconnoitre. 
The  issue  was,  perhaps,  even  then  apparent  to  him ;  but  no 
steps  to  alter  previous  plans  were  deemed  necessary.  At  11 
A.  M.  there  was  a  general  cessation  of  firing,  and  for  about  two 
hours  all  was  quiet.  It  was,  however,  merely  that  calm  which 
is  well  known  to  precede  the  fierce  hurricane  in  nature's 
storms.  At  a  given  signal,  the  shrill  sound  of  a  Whitworth 
gun  broke  the  ominous  silence,  and  then  commenced  a  can 
nonading  absolutely  appalling,  and  certainly  beyond  the  power 
of  pen  adequately  to  describe.  One  writer,  who  was  in  the 
Confederate  army,  says,  "  The  air  was  hideous  with  most  dis 
cordant  noise.  The  very  earth  shook  beneath  our  feet,  and 
the  hills  and  rocks  seemed  to  reel  like  a  drunken  man.  For 
one  hour  and  a  half  this  most  terrific  fire  was  continued,  dur 
ing  which  time  the  shrieking  of  shell,  the  crash  of  falling  tim 
bers,  the  fragments  of  rocks  flying  through  the  air,  shattered 
from  the  cliffs  by  solid  shot,  the  heavy  mutterings  from  the 
valley  between  the  opposing  armies,  the  splash  of  bursting 
shrapnel,  and  the  fierce  neighing  of  wounded  artillery  horses, 
made  a  picture  terribly  grand  and  sublime." 

But  the  day  was  not  for  the  South.  The  most  daring  deeds, 
and  the  most  earnest  resolution  could  not  gain  the  victory  over 
the  North  at  Gettysburg.  Men  fought  on  both  sides  with 
bravery,  perhaps  never  surpassed,  and  the  record  of  that  three 
days'  battle  must  ever  arouse  a  thrill  of  admiration  and  aston 
ishment. 

In  his  report,  General  Lee  says,  "  Our  troops  succeeded  in 
entering  the  advanced  works  of  the  enemy,  and  getting  posses 
sion  of  some  of  his  batteries;  but  our  artillery  having  nearly 
expended  its  ammunition,  the  attacking  columns  became  ex- 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  105 

posed  to  the  heavy  fire  of  the  numerous  batteries  near  the  sum 
mit  of  the  ridge,  and  after  a  most  determined  and  gallant 
struggle  were  compelled  to  relinquish  their  advantage  and  fall 
back  to  their  original  positions  with  severe  loss." 

Still  the  Confederate  forces  struggled  on  ;  and,  during  one 
period,  when  the  Federal  General  Howard  slackened  the  fire 
of  his  guns  to  allow  them  to  cool,  it  was  determined  to  make 
one  more  desperate  attack,  a  storming  party  rushed  forward 
without  a  moment's  hesitation.  The  division  of  General  Pickett, 
which  had  arrived  since  the  previous  day,  led  the  advance, 
supported  on  the  right  by  Wilcox's  brigade  of  Anderson's 
division,  and  on  the  left  by  Heth's  division,  commanded  by 
General  Pettigrew.  These  latter,  however,  being  mostly  raw 
soldiers,  wavered  ;  but  Pickett's  Virginians  pressed  forward 
under  a  terrible  fire  of  grape,  shell  and  canister  from  forty 
guns  opened  upon  them.  On  they  pressed,  crossing  the  Em- 
mitsburg  road,  and  steadily  approaching  the  masses  of  Federal 
infantry.  Hundreds  of  them  go  down  under  the  murderous 
fire,  and  still  they  falter  not,  but — up  to  the  enemy's  rifle  pits 
they  rush — over  them  they  go,  and  then  with  a  wild  yell  dash 
up  to  the  very  muzzle  of  the  terrible  guns  belching  forth  flame 
and  destruction  upon  them.  Vain!  vain!  They  are  now  un 
supported.  Pettigrew's  line  has  been  broken,  and  his  men  fly 
panic-stricken  to  the  rear.  The  brave  general,  himself,  is 
wounded,  but  still  retained  command,  and  strives  to  rally  his 
men.  But  they  heed  him  not,  and  he  is  left  alone,  while 
Pickett  and  his  brave  Virginians  contend  as  best  they  can 
against  the  fearful  odds  opposed  to  them.  Presently  relief  ap 
proaches.  General  Lee  sends  Wright's  brigade  to  their  sup 
port,  and,  finally,  the  remnant  of  them  effects  a  retreat. 

It  was  now  that  General  Lee  showed  some  of  those  admira 
ble  qualities,  for  which  he  was  so  noted  and  esteemed.  For 
getful  of  himself,  he  rode  about,  quite  alone,  in  front  of  the 
wood,  rallying  and  encouraging  the  broken  troops,  the  whole 
of  his  staff  being  engaged  in  a  similar  manner  further  to  the 
rear.  His  cheerful  and  placid  face  displayed  no  signs  of  the 
slightest  disappointment,  care,  or  annoyance ;  and  to  the 
soldiers  he  met,  some  words  of  encouragement  were  addressed. 
To  one  he  would  say,  u  All  this  will  come  right  in  the  end ; 
we'll  talk  it  over  afterwards ;  but,  in  the  mean  time,  all  good 


106  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

men  must  rally.  We  want  all  true  men  just  now."  To 
another,  he  would  speak  in  similar  terms  ;  and,  to  the  slightly 
wounded,  words  of  exhortation  were  used  for  them  to  bind  up 
their  hurts  and  take  a  musket  again  in  the  emergency.  And 
very  few  failed  to  answer  his  appeal,  many  even  of  the  badly 
wounded  taking  off  their  hats  to  cheer  him.  To  a  foreign 
military  officer  of  rank,  who  had  come  to  witness  the  battle, 
he  said:  uThis  has  been  a  sad  day  for  us,  Colonel — a  sad 
day;  but  we  can't  expect  always  to  gain  victories,"  and,  at 
the  same  time,  seeing  this  gentleman  somewhat  exposed, 
advised  him  to  get  into  a  more  sheltered  position. 

Notwithstanding  the  misfortune  which  had  so  suddenly  be 
fallen  him,  General  Lee  seemed  to  observe  everything,  however 
trivial.  When  a  mounted  officer  began  to  ill  treat  his  horse 
for  shying  at  the  bursting  of  a  shell,  he  called  out,  u  Don't 
whip  him,  Captain  ;  dont  whip  him.  I've  got  just  such  another 
foolish  horse  myself,  and  whipping  does  no  good." 

There  was  a  man  lying  flat  on  his  face,  in  a  small  ditch, 
groaning  dismally;  General  Lee's  attention  was  drawn  to  him, 
and  he  at  once  appealed  to  the  man's  patriotism  to  arouse 
himself,  but  finding  such  to  be  of  no  avail,  he  had  him  igno- 
miniously  set  on  his  legs,  by  some  neighboring  gunners. 

General  Wilcox  now  came  up  to  him,  and,  in  very  depressed 
tones  of  annoyance  and  vexation,  explained  the  state  of  his 
brigade.  But  General  Lee  immediately  shook  hands  with 
him,  and  said,  in  a  cheerful  manner,  "  Never  mind,  General. 
All  this  has  been  my  fault.  It  is  I  that  have  lost  this  fight, 
and  you  must  help  me  out  of  it  the  best  way  you  can."  In 
this  manner  did  General  Lee,  wholly  ignoring  self  and  position, 
encourage  and  reanimate  his  somewhat  dispirited  troops,  and 
magnanimously  take  upon  his  own  shoulders  the  whole  weight 
of  the  repulse.  "  It  was  impossible,"  says  the  writer  already 
quoted,  "  to  look  at  him,  or  to  listen  to  him,  without  feeling 
the  strongest  admiration,  and  I  never  saw  any  man  fail  him, 
except  the  man  in  the  ditch." 

It  is  difficult  to  exaggerate  the  critical  state  of  affairs  as  they 
appeared  about  this  time.  General  Lee  and  his  officers  were 
fully  impressed  with  a  sense  of  the  situation  ;  yet  there  was 
much  less  noise,  fuss,  or  confusion  of  orders,  than  at  any  ordi 
nary  field  day.  The  men,  as  they  were  rallied  in  the  wood, 


GENERAL  EGBERT  EDMUND  LEE.  107 

were  brought  up  in  detachments,  and  lay   down   quiet   and 
coolly  in  the  positions  assigned  them. 

The  result  of  this  day's  fight  convinced  General  Lee  that 
the  Federal  position  was  impregnable,  and  his  ammunition 
being  nearly  exhausted,  offensive  operations  could  not  be 
resumed,  even  had  it  been  desirable.  On  the  following  day, 
with  rain  falling  in  torrents,  both  armies  were  occupied  in 
burying  their  dead  ;  and,  at  night,  Lee  retired  with  the  whole 
of  his  troops  and  prisoners,  except  the  wounded.  The  march, 
however,  was  so  slow,  owing  to  the  storm,  that  not  until  after 
daylight  of  the  5th,  had  his  rear  column  left  Gettysburg  ;  yet 
no  important  effort  was  made  to  impede  him.  On  Monday, 
the  6th,  Lee  arrived  at  Hagerstown,  and  on  the  following  day 
the  advance  of  Meade  was  at  Funktown,  six  miles  south  of 
that  place.  Meanwhile,  General  Conch,  in  command  of  the 
department,  had  immediately  sent  forward  General  W.  F. 
Smith,  in  command  of  the  militia  that  had  been  called  out 
from  the  several  States,  and  directed  a  pursuit  of  the  Confeder 
ate  army.  At  Carlisle,  General  Smith  was  met  by  General 
W.  II.  F.  Lee,  who  had  there  expected  to  find  Ewell.  Lee 
retired,  and  Smith  now  joined  his  raw  troops  to  those  of 
Meade  ;  but,  by  this  time  General  Lee  had  reached  the  Poto 
mac  a.t  Williamsport,  ready  to  cross.  Here  a  difficulty  awaited 
him.  "The  Potomac,"  he  says,  "was  so  much  swollen  by 
the  rains  that  had  fallen  almost  incessantly  since  our  entrance 
into  Maryland,  as  to  be  unfordable.  Our  communications 
with  the  south  side  were  thus  interrupted,  and  it  was  difficult  to 
procure  either  ammunition  or  subsistence  ;  the  latter  difficulty 
being  enhanced  by  the  high  waters  impeding  the  working  of 
neighboring  mills.  The  trains  with  the  wounded  and  prisoners 
were  compelled  to  await,  at  Williamsport,  the  subsiding  of  the 
river,  and  the  construction  of  boats,  as^the  pontoon  bridge  left 
at  Falling  Waters  had  been  partially  destroyed.  The  enemy 
had  not  yet  made  his  appearunce,  but  as  he  was  in  a  condition 
to  obtain  large  reinforcements,  and  our  situation,  for  the' 
reasons  above  mentioned,  was  becoming  daily  more  embar 
rassing,  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  recross  the  river.  Part 
of  the  pontoon  bridge  was  recovered,  and  new  boats  built,  so 
that  by  the  13th,  a  good  bridge  was  thrown  over  the  river  at 
Falling  Waters." 


108  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

Lee  crossed  over  in  face  of  the  enemy  (who  had  arrived  on 
the  12th,  and  taken  up  position)  "  with  no  loss  of  material, 
except  a  few  disabled  wagons  and  two  pieces  of  artillery, 
which  the  horses  were  unable  to  move  through  the  deep  mud. 
Before  fresh  horses  could  be  sent  for  them,  the  rear  of  the 
column  had  passed." 

Before  finally  retreating  from  Maryland,  General  Lee,  on 
the  11  tli  of  July,  issued  an  address  to  his  army,  acknowledging 
the  gallantry  and  devotion  of  his  troops,  and  concludes  his 
modest  report  with  a  few  words  of  kindly  remembrance  of  the 
"brave  officers  and  patriotic  gentlemen  who  fell  in  the  faithful 
discharge  of  their  duty,  leaving  the  army  to  mourn  their  loss 
and  emulate  their  noble  examples." 

General  Meade  ordered  a  pursuit  of  Lee,  and,  at  the  Falling 
Waters,  an  encounter  took  place,  which  was  the  cause  of  some 
official  correspondence  on  the  part  of  both  generals.  The 
Federal  commander  stated  that  he  had  captured  a  brigade  of 
infantry,  besides  the  two  pieces  of  artillery,  etc.,  already  men 
tioned  ;  and  to  this  General  Lee  replied  at  some  length  in  a 
denial.  He  says  that  "  the  enemy  did  not  capture  any  organ 
ized  body  of  men  on  that  occasion,  but  only  stragglers  and 
such  as  were  left  asleep  on  the  road,  exhausted  by  the  fatigue 
and  exposure  of  one  of  the  most  inclement  nights  known  at 
that  season  of  the  year.  It  rained  without  cessation,  .  .  .  and 
the  last  of  the  troops  did  not  cross  the  river  at  the  bridge  till 
1  A.  M.  of  the  14th.  While  the  column  was  thus  detained  on 
the  road,  a  number  of  men,  worn  down  with  fatigue,  laid  down 
in  barns  and  by  the  roadside,  and  though  officers  were  sent 
back  to  arouse  them  as  the  troops  moved  on,  the  darkness  and 
rain  prevented  them  from  finding  all,  and  many  were  in  this 

way  left  behind Ko  arms,  cannon,  or  prisoners  were 

taken  by  the  enemy  in  battle,  but  only  su-ch  as  were  left 
behind,  as  I  have  described  under  the  circumstances." 

To  this  reply,  General  Meade,  in  an  official  letter  to  General 
Halleck,  responds  by  reiterating  his  former  statement,  and 
inclosing  the  report  of  General  Kilpatrick,  who  commanded 
the  cavalry  on  the  occasion.  From  this  report,  it  would  seem. 
that  General  Lee  had  been  misinformed  as  to  the  affair. 

We  have  mentioned  the  preceding,  because  it  not  only 
belongs  to  matters  connected  with  General  Lee's  personal 


GENERAL   EGBERT   EDMUND    LEE.  109 

history,  bnt  because  it  shows,  very  strikingly,  the  condition 
and  hardships  of  the  soldiers  (on  both  sides  alike)  during  the 
war,  although  what  is  here  narrated  is  but  trifling,  compared 
with  what  has  been  endured  at  other  times. 

The  pursuit  of  Lee  was  resumed  by  a  flank  movement  of  the 
Federal  army,  crossing  the  Potomac  at  Berlin  and  moving 
down  the  Loudon  Yalley.  The  cavalry  wrere  pushed  into 
several  passes  of  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains,  but  despite  all 
efforts  of  the  Union  forces,  General  Lee  succeeded  in  once 
more  establishing  his  men  on  the  Rapidan,  while  General 
Meade  took  position  on  the  Rappahannock,  and  thus  termi 
nated  the  campaign. 


CHAPTER  YI. 

Position  of  the  two  Armies. — General  Meade's  Order. — Grand  Review  of  the  Con 
federate  Army. — Longstreet  sent  to  reinforce  Bragg. — Lee's  sudden  Flanking  of 
Meade. — Minor  Operations  of  the  Army. — Imboden. — Fitzhugh  Lee. — General  Stu 
art. — Meade's  Attack  on  Ewell. — Lee  visits  Richmond. — Question  of  Ranking  Officer. 
— Bragg  as  Military  Adviser. — Condition  of  the  Confederate  Army. — Religion  in  the 
Camp. — Amusements. — Thanks  of  Confederate  Congress  to  Lee  and  his  Army. — 
General  Caster's  Raid. — Position  of  Lee's  Forces. — Reinforced  by  Longstreet. — Day 
of  Fast. — Commencement  of  a  New  Campaign. — Grand  Advance  of  the  Northern 
Army. — General  Ulysses  Grant. — Battle  of  the  Wilderness. — Heroic  Achievements. 
•  -Spottsylvania. — Grant  Crosses  the  Pamunkey. 

THE  pursuit  of  Lee  by  General  Meade  had  been  as  follows  : 
On  the  18th  of  July  the  latter  moved  across  the  Potomac ;  on 
the  19th  he  was  at  Lovettsville  ;  on  the  20th  and  21st  at 
Union ;  on  the  22d  at  Upperville ;  on  the  23d  at  Markham 
station  ;  on  the  24th  at  Salem,  and  on  the  25th  at  Warrenton, 
with  the  army  occupying  the  same  line  which  it  did  two 
months  previous. 

On  the  30th  of  July,  General  Meade  issued  an  order  of  a 
very  stringent  character,  concerning  "numerous  depredations 
committed  by  citizens,  or  rebel  soldiers  in  disguise  harbored 
or  concealed  by  citizens  along  the  Orange  and  Alexandria 
railroad,"  within  his  lines,  and  threatened  not  only  severe 
punishment  to  offenders,  if  caught,  but  held  the  "  people  within 
ten  miles  of  the  railroad  responsible  in  their  persons  and 
property"  for  any  injury  done. 

During  General  Lee's  advance  into  Pennsylvania,  some  cor 
respondence  had  taken  place  between  him  and  President  Davis 
on  the  subject  of  reinforcements,  and  the  latter  intimated  that 
there  was  some  doubt  as  to  whether  the  capital  might  not  be 
left  too  defenceless,  owing  to  certain  movements  of  the  enemy 
again  on  the  peninsula.  From  this,  it  appears  that  General 
Lee  must  have  felt  some  difficulty  about  staying  long  across 
the  Potomac,  lest  Richmond  should  be  endangered  while  his 
army  was  at  too  great  a  distance  to  go  quickly  to  its  rescue. 


GENERAL  ROBERT  EDMUND  LEE.  Ill 

True,  there  were  other  forces,  and  other  commanders,  but  they 
were  all  much  occupied  elsewhere,  and  it  was  mainly  upon  the 
army  of  Virginia  that  the  Confederate  authorities  at  the  capital 
had  to  depend. 

That  there  was  some  cause  for  doubt  may  be  seen  from  the 
fact  that  General  Dix,  then  in  command  at  Fort  Monroe,  had 
made  a  diversion  towards  Richmond,  and  also  to  threaten  the 
communications  of  Lee,  and  while  thus  occupied,  Tunstall's 
station  was  seized,  and  Brigadier-general  W.  F.  Lee — one  of 
the  general's  sons — was  captured.  The  return,  however,  of 
the  army  from  across  the  Potomac  to  its  old  quarters  on  the 
Eapidan,  relieved  the  public  mind,  South,  and  again  cleared 
the  peninsula. 

It  was  now  necessary  for  a  time  that  some  rest  should  be 
obtained  to  recruit  the  army,  and  prepare  for  future  work. 
Consequently  a  short  period  of  relaxation  followed,  and  fur 
loughs  were  granted  to  the  men.  The  system  adopted  by 
General  Lee,  with  regard  to  these  furloughs,  was  very  good. 
His  order  on  the  subject  stated  that,  for  the  purpose  of  allow 
ing  ic  as  many  of  the  brave  soldiers  to  visit  their  families  and 
friends  as  can  be  done  consistently  with  the  service,  and  at 
the  same  time  give  some  reward  for  meritorious  conduct,  a 
system  of  furloughs  is  instituted  in  the  army."  First,  two  for 
every  one  hundred  men  present  for  duty,  and  afterwards  at 
the  rate  of  one  in  a  hundred.  Commanders  were  to  forward 
urgent  and  meritorious  cases  for  approval,  and  the  time  of 
leave  varied,  according  to  the  State,  from  fifteen  days  in  Vir 
ginia  to  thirty  days  in  Louisiana. 

On  September  yth,  General  Lee  held  a  grand  review  of  his 
army,  at  which  were  present  Generals  Ewell.  Longstreet,  Hill, 
Stuart,  Wilcox  and  others  of  note.  The  condition  of  the  troops 
was  excellent,  and  the  only  fault  the  strictest  disciplinarian 
could  find  was  the  irrepressible  manifestations  of  affection  for 
the  generals.  The  number  of  troops  reviewed  is  not  stated, 
but  it  must  have  been  considerable,  for  in  passing  along  the 
lines  and  returning,  the  various  generals  had  to  gallop  over 
nine  miles. 

About  this  time  affairs  in  the  western  departments  led  to  a 
withdrawal  of  Longstreet's  portion  of  the  Virginian  army,  for 
the  purpose  of  reinforcing  Bragg.  At  first,  it  had  been  sup- 


112  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

posed  at  Washington,  that  Lee  was  receiving  more  reinforce 
ments  ;  but  on  the  14th  of  September  General  Meade  reported 
that,  in  his  opinion,  and  from  all  that  he  had  learned,  Lee  had 
been  reduced  in  his  forces  by  Longstreet's  withdrawal,  and  by 
some  regiments  from  Ewell  and  Hill.  To  meet  this  additional 
force  in  the  west,  the  North  dispatched  General  Hooker,  with 
nearly  two  corps  from  Meade's  army,  to  reinforce  Rosecrans 
in  Tennessee.  Thus  the  two  armies  in  Virginia  still  confronted 
each  other  with  about  the  same  comparative  numbers.  A  period 
of  total  inaction,  except  occasional  skirmishes,  seemed  to  have 
settled  on  both  parties.  The  Federals  were  in  a  good  position, 
and  the  North  clamorous  for  another  onward  movement,  but 
none  took  place.  Neither  did  it  appear  that  General  Lee  felt 
inclined  to  take  the  initiative  in  a  fresh  struggle.  In  fact,  a 
sort  of  lethargy  had  apparently  fallen  upon  all,  and  in  the 
beginning  of  October  so  much  quiet  reigned,  that  people  both 
in  the  North  and  South  began  to  wonder  and  to  speak  aloud 


in  murmuring  tones. 


Suddenly,  however,  unexpectedly,  and  in  a  marvellous,  un 
intelligible  way,  it  was  reported  that  General  Lee  and  his  army 
had  flanked  Meade,  and  was  several  miles  in  his  rear,  between 
him  and  Washington.  Then  came  alarm  and  dismay.  A 
hasty  retrograde  movement  of  the  Northern  army  ;  an  inef 
fectual  attempt  to  check  the  Confederate  advance  ;  a  severe 
engagement  with  the  rear  guard ;  affrighted  sutlers,  and  panic- 
stricken  teamsters  pouring  in  throngs  along  the  roads  to  Wash 
ington  ;  provisions  and  materiel,  worth  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  dollars,  given  to  the  flames,  are  the  primary  results  of  Lee's 
new  and  masterly  strategy.  Finally,  the  Northern  army, 
jaded  with  a  week's  incessant  marching,  disheartened  by  an 
instinctive  sense  of  the  enemy's  superior  strategy,  takes  up  a 
position  on  the  old  ground  again.  And  thus  it  was,  as  we  have 
already  stated,  Lee  had  posted  his  army  on  the  line  of  the 
Rapidan,  with  his  right  wing  at  Fredericksburg,  and  his  left 
near  the  Orange  Court-house,  while  the  Northern  forces  occu 
pied  the  banks  of  the  Rappahannock.  On  the  8th  and  9th  of 
October  Lee  suddenly  dispatched  a  portion  of  his  troops 
towards  Madison  Court-house,  and  by  circuitous  and  concealed 
roads,  contrived  to  get  up  near  Culpepper  without  notice  of  the 
enemy.  Lee  himself  with  the  bulk  of  his  army,  except  a  show 


GENERAL  EGBERT  EDMUND  LEE.  113 

of  force,  under  General  Fitzhugh  Lee.  left  in  his  old  lines, 
swiftly  followed,  and  on  the  llth  was  at  Culpepper,  where  he 
found  Meade  had  retreated  along  the  line  of  railroad  running 
to  Alexandria.  Lee  immediately  pursued,  having  now  been 
joined  by  the  commands  of  Stuart  and  Fitzhugh  Lee,  who  had 
repulsed  Bu ford's  attack  on  the  remaining  force  of  the  Con 
federates  at  the  Rapidan,  and  driven  him  back  to  his  main 
army.  On  the  llth  Lee  arrived  on  the  Rappahannock,  at 
"Warren ton  Springs,  after  a  skirmish  with  the  Federal  cavalry 
at  Jefferston.  The  next  day,  after  a  short  march  to  Warren- 
ton,  where  the  whole  army  was  reunited,  a  halt  was  made  to 
supply  the  troops  with  provisions.  On  Thursday,  the  14th, 
Lee  again  pushed  on  in  two  columns,  and  by  different  roads, 
towards  Bristoe  station,  where  the  rear  guard  of  General 
Meade,  under  General  Warren,  was  attacked  by  the  advance 
of  General  Hill.  A  sharp  fight  ensued,  ending  in  the  repulse 
of  Hill,  with  considerable  loss,  before  Lee  could  send  to  his  as 
sistance.  The  advance  thus  checked,  and  Meade,  having  re 
treated  to  the  old  battlefields  around  Bull  Run  and  Centreville, 
which  he  was  strongly  fortifying,  it  was  deemed  unwise  by 
General  Lee  to  continue  the  pursuit  any  further,  especially  as 
the  intrenchments  around  Washington  and  Alexandria  would 
render  abortive  any  success  that  might  attend  efforts  to  turn 
Meade's  new  position.  Accordingly,  after  destroying  the  rail 
road  from  Cub  Run  southwardly,  Lee,  on  the  18th,  returned 
to  the  line  of  the  Rappahannock,  leaving  his  cavalry  in  front 
of  Meacle.  Next  day  this  force  was  attacked,  and  compelled 
to  retire,  until  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  arriving,  a  severe  action 
followed,  and  the  Confederates  advanced  nearly  to  Haymarket 
and  Gainesville.  There  Meade's  infantry  were  met,  and  Fitz 
hugh  Lee  fell  back  un pursued. 

While  this  flank  movement  and  advance  of  Lee's  was  taking 
place,  directions  had  been  sent  to  General  Imboden,  of  the  Con 
federate  forces,  in  the  Shenandoah,  to  guard  the  passes  of  the 
mountains  on  Lee's  left.  This  was  done  in  a  most  admirable 
manner,  and  was  then  swiftly  followed  by  the  capture  of 
Charlestown  in  West  Virginia,  by  that  gallant  officer,  on  the 
18th  of  October.  The  Union  forces  stationed  there,  consisting 
of  the  Ninth  Maryland  regiment,  and  three  companies  of  cav 
alry,  with  their  stores  and  transportation,  were  nearly  all  made 

8 


114  SOUTHEEN    GENERALS. 

captive.     But,  on  a  strong  Federal  force  appearing  from  Harp 
er's  Ferry,  Imboden  had  to  retreat. 

General  Lee  had  placed  his  troops  again  in  position,  on  both 
sides  of  the  railway,  upon  the  line  of  the  Rappahannock,  with 
Ewell  on  theright,  Hill  upon  the  left,  and  the  cavalry  protecting 
each  flank.  It  was  fully  expected  that  Meade  would  advance 
upon  the  Confederate  forces  as  soon  as  he  could,  and  this  was 
seen  to  be  the  case  on  November  6th,  when,  having  repaired 
the  broken  railroad,  he  came  in  force  upon  Lee's  army  at  Rap 
pahannock  station  and  Kelly's  ford.  An  engagement  fol 
lowed,  which  was  continued  after  dark,  and  resulted  in  the 
Confederates  being  defeated  with  great  loss.  General  Lee 
then  fell  back  to  Culpepper,  but  finding  that  position  untenable, 
he  once  more  retired  to  his  old  lines  on  the  Rapidan.  There, 
on  the  27th  of  November,  Meade  again  advanced  upon  the 
Confederates  at  German ia  ford.  General  Edward  Johnson,  of 
Ewell's  corps,  with  his  division,  was  in  advance,  and  the  two 
armies  came  into  collision  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the 
river,  and  near  the  plank-road,  noted  in  the  battle  of  Chancel- 
lorsville.  A  desperate  conflict  ensued,  which  was  maintained 
on  both  sides  with  great  obstinacy,  until  night  caused  a  cessa 
tion  of  the  tight.  The  engagement  was  not  again  renewed  ; 
but  Meade  withdrew  next  day  from  the  front,  and  reoccupied 
his  post  about  Brandy  station,  on  the  Orange  and  Alexandria 
railroad.  This  virtually  ended  the  campaign  for  that  year. 
"With  the  exception  of  some  skirmishes,  and  a  slight  engage 
ment  on  the  road  to  Orange  Court-house,  nothing  more  was 
done  by  the  two  armies.  The  Union  forces  went  into  winter 
quarters  on  the  line  of  the  Rappahannock  about  the  6th  of 
December,  and  the  Confederate  army  did  the  same  on  the 
Rapidan. 

Soon  afterwards  General  Lee  made  a  visit  of  some  length, 
to  Richmond,  which  was,  no  doubt,  necessary  to  give  himself 
some  change,  and  to  see  his  family  ;  but  it  was  also  for  the  pur 
pose  of  assisting  in  certain  war-councils,  especially  with  regard 
to  new  appointments  in  the  military  departments.  General 
Bragg  had  been  relieved  from  his  command  in  the  West,  and 
was  intended  for  the  post  of  "  consulting  or  advising  officer  " 
to  the  Executive — in  other  words,  virtually  commander-in-chief 
of  the  Southern  armies — while  General  Lee  was  to  keep  the 


GENERAL   EGBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  115 

field  in  Virginia  ;  but  many  difficulties  were  in  the  way  of  such 
an  arrangement,  though  Bragg  was  not  only  the  ranking  gen 
eral,  his  friends  claimed  for  him  far  greater  merits  than  the 
public  generally  acknowledged.  General  Lee,  as  he  had  in 
variably  done,  was  ready  to  relinquish  self  to  the  service  of 
his  country ;  but,  naturally,  his  old  classmate,  friend,  and 
former  companion,  J.  E.  Johnston,  had  his  warmest  recom 
mendations  in  the  matter  of  new  appointments.  The  difficulty 
arose  thus  :  Generals  Cooper,  A.  S.  Johnson,  Lee,  Beaure- 
gard,  and  J.  E.  Johnston  had  been  appointed  under  the  pro 
visional  government,  in  1861.  When  A.  S.  Johnson  fell  at 
Shiloh,  in  1862,  after  the  organization  of  the  permanent  gov 
ernment,  Bragg  was  appointed  to  the  vacancy,  and  this  was  at 
once  confirmed  by  Congress.  The  appointments  of  Cooper, 
Lee,  and  the  others,  were  also  confirmed  by  the  same  Congress, 
but  subsequently  to  that  of  Bragg,  therefore  he  was  considered,  in 
reality,  the  senior  general.  The  matter  was  however  settled,  at 
this  time,  by  Bragg's  appointment  at  Richmond,  and  Generals 
Lee  and  Johnston  keeping  their  important  positions  in  the  field. 
There  were  many  other  causes  tending  to  much  anxiety  iu 
the  mind  of  General  Lee.  His  brave  army  had  been  subject 
to  great  depletion,  and  was  suffering  from  those  accursed  evils, 
which,  even  more  than  the  battlefield  itself,  belong  to  war,  and 
help  to  destroy  lives  to  a  greater  extent  than  the  cannon-ball 
and  rifle-shot.  Richmond  was  no  more  exempt  from  this  than 
any  other  capital,  where  a  market  is  made  by  hordes  of  base 
contractors,  who  seize  the  opportunity  of  a  nation's  hour  of 
peril  to  gorge  themselves  with  golden  spoils.  The  honorable 
and  just-dealing  man,  who  fairly  turns  his  goods  to  ordinary 
profit  at  such  times,  can  make  no  headway  in  such  a  greedy 
crowd,  and  consequently  has  but  faint  conception  of  the  fright 
ful  and  inhuman  wrongs  heaped  upon  the  heroic  soldiers 
bleeding  for  their  country's  weal.  Well  may  a  famous  general 
in  the  Napoleon  wars  have  expressed  a  wish  that  the  whole 
class  of  fraudulent  contractors  had  but  one  neck,  that  he  could 
have  the  pleasure  of  hanging  them  at  once  with  a  single  rope ; 
for,  if  ever  men  deserve  to  be  strangled  or  guillotined  those 
do  who  thus  take  advantage  of  their  country's  need,  and  reck 
lessly  plunder  government  and  soldier  alike,  by  the  vile  sup 
plies  they  cunningly  substitute  for  the  good  samples  speciously 


116  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

submitted  to  inspection.  Again,  these  same  men,  and  their 
innumerable  hangers-on,  are  too  comfortable  at  home  to  risk 
their  precious  lives  on  the  camp-ground,  in  the  maintenance  of 
that  cause  they,  on  both  sides,  talk  so  much  about  as  a  good 
and  righteous  one.  The  consequence  is,  that  when  inaction 
among  the  ranks  of  the  army  occurs,  and,  especially  when 
cold  and  hunger — arising  from  short  rations  and  ill-made  gar 
ments — are  felt,  desertions,  repinings,  apathy,  and  general  dis 
content,  are  sure  to  be  found.  The  subordinate  officers,  even 
those  of  higher  grade,  experience  this,  and  the  generals  in  com 
mand  have,  in  such,  far  more  to  contend  with  than  the  greatest 
difficulties  connected  with  strategic  movements  or  a  battlefield. 
In  the  case  of  the  Northern  army  of  Virginia  there  was, 
about  the  winter  of  1863— i,  much  of  this  for  General  Lee  to 
contend  with.  The  line  officers,  it  was  said,  who  had  marched 
many  weary  miles  with  their  men,  and  had  cheerfully  borne 
all  ordinary  privations  and  want,  bitterly  felt  the  contrast  be 
tween  themselves  and  the  shirkers  who  staid  at  home,  speculat 
ing  upon  the  miseries  of  citizens  and  soldiers  alike.  The 
consequence  was  that  desertions  were  not  unfrequent,  and  the 
Commander-in-chief  had  to  use  all  his  own  personal  popularity 
in  procuring  fresh  men  to  fill  the  ranks.  Every  thing  he  could 
possibly  do  to  promote  the  welfare  and  comfort  of  his  troops, 
it  was  universally  admitted  he  did,  and  his  example,  not  only 
in  this  respect,  but  by  being  constantly  with  them  for  so  long 
a  time,  sharing  their  privations  arid  often  shelterless  bivouacs, 
was  of  immense  benefit.  "He  was  truly  the  soldiers'  idol,  not 
merely  on  account  of  his  great  genius,  but — like  the  first  Na 
poleon — he  ever  studied  the  wants  of  his  private  soldiers,  and 
personally  looked  into  their  supplies."  Yet,  what  could  he, 
what  can  any  human  being  do,  especially  one  of  mind,  of  talent 
and  masterly  ability  in  great  things,  adequately  to  oppose  the 
mean  arid  contemptible  trickery  of  little  souls  backed  by  the 
gold  they  have  so  avariciously  contrived  to  make?  Absolutely 
nothing!  And,  when  the  calm  future  arrives  in  the  yet  uncon- 
ceived  history  of  the  great  and  mighty  people  such  as  must 
exist  on  this  continent,  the  eye  will  look  with  amazement  on 
the  prolongation  of  this  sad  struggle,  and  truth  will  then  admit, 
it  was  chiefly  occasioned  by  the  greed  and  infamy  of  designing 
speculators,  and  base  men  throughout  the  land. 


GENERAL    EGBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  117 

To  meet  these  difficulties,  General  Lee  had  to  exercise  every 
available  faculty  of  his  mind.  A  tithe-tax  was  instituted, 
whereby  the  people  in  Virginia,  around  his  troops,  furnished 
supplies  to  the  army,  and  in  various  ways  did  he  so  continue  to 
lessen  some  of  the  evils  spoken  of,  that  several  old  regiments 
re-enlisted  for  the  war,  and  new  ones  numerously  came  for 
ward.  He  increased  the  length  of  furloughs,  and  it  was  truly 
gratifying  to  find  the  soldiers  so  promptly  return  at  the  expira 
tion  of  their  leave.  Nor  was  another  important  subject  in  the 
welfare  of  the  army  forgotten.  Say,  or  think  what  some  will 
to  the  contrary,  there  is  a  sure  safeguard  for  the  moral,  and 
even  physical  good  of  man,  in  unaffected,  honest-hearted  re 
ligion,  particularly  when  he  is  thrown  amongst  his  brethren 
without  the  usual  restraints  of  home  society.  Therefore,  the 
exercises  of  religion,  even  in  its  mere  form  alone,  are  of  real 
practical  good,  and  we  find  that  it  was  much  evinced  in  Lee's 
army.  In  accounts  of  what  was  then  passing,  it  is  said  "the 
religious  interest  in  the  army  is  unchilled  by  the  cold  weather. 
Meetings  are  still  held  in  every  part  of  the  army ;  and,  in 
many,  if* not  all  the  brigades,  meeting-houses  have  been  con 
structed  by  the  soldiers,  for  their  own  use,  and  faithful  chaplains 
nightly  preach  to  large  and  deeply  attentive  congregations." 

But,  beside  the  more  serious  duties  incumbent  on  a  wise 
general  to  regard  arid  encourage  among  his  men,  the  lighter 
occupations  of  life  were  not  forgotten.  No  one  who  has  ever 
been  called  to  headship  over  others — if  he  be  at  all  capable  of 
right  feeling  himself— can  fail  to  know  the  importance  of  main 
taining  a  healthy  spirit  of  mirth  and  cheerfulness  around. 
Give  the  soldier,  or  the  sailor,  or  the  employed  artisan,  a  fair 
proportion  of  life's  joys,  whenever  it  can  be  done,  and  let  him 
see  and  experience  the  pleasant  smile  or  the  uproarious  glee 
of  others  around  him,  and  assuredly  it  will  do  him  immense 
good,  no  matter  what  his  privations  or  even  his  sufferings  may 
be.  Accordingly  we  find  many  wise  commanders  especially 
attending  to  this,  and  in  Lee's  army  (as  it  was  also  to  be  seen 
amongst  the  Union  forces)  sports  and  pastimes  were  not  omitted 
in  the  military  economy  established.  A  newspaper,  called 
The  Rapid  Ann,  was  issued  by  some  of  the  soldiers,  with 
pen  and  pencil,  and  the  following  is  a  specimen  of  its  good 
humor : 


118  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

"  TACTICS  OF  KISSING. — Recruit  is  placed  in  front  of  the  piece. 
First  motion — Bend  the  right  knee  ;  straighten  the  left;  bring 
the  head  on  a  level  with  the  face  of  the  piece ;  at  the  same 
time  extend  the  arms,  and  clasp  the  cheeks  of  the  piece  firmly 
in  both  hands.  Second  motion — Bend  the  body  slightly  for 
ward ;  pucker  the  mouth,  and  apply  the  lips  smartly  to  the 
muzzle  mouldings.  Third  motion — Break  off  promptly  on  both 
legs,  to  escape  the  jarring  or  injury  should  the  piece  recoil." 

It  may  seem  trivial  to  bring  forward  such  incidents  as  this, 
in  writing  a  biographical  sketch  of  a  great  man,  but  we  con 
ceive  that  nothing  which  tends  to  illustrate  the  character  of 
such  a  one,  and  of  those  under  his  control,  who  as  a  glass 
throw  back  the  reflection  of  his  own  face,  should  be  omitted. 
Lee  had  been  now,  March,  186i,  for  more  than  twenty  months 
in  command  of  that  army,  and  much  of  the  reflex  of  himself 
was  sure  to  be  found  in  the  general  actions  of  his  men,  when 
free  to  display  the  bent  of  their  own  inclinations.  Thus,  their 
pleasures  and  amusements,  their  sense  of  religious  duty,  and 
their  devotion  to  the  cause  they  served,  were  all  indicative  of 
that  kindly  and  wise  spirit  which  ruled  over  them.  «Nor  was 
his  family  less  thoughtful  and  friendly  disposed  toward  the 
soldier.  Like  the  angels  of  goodness  and  mercy  in  the  North, 
who  are  ever  seeking  to  relieve  the  wants  and  sufferings  of  the 
Union  soldiers,  so  were  there  in  the  South,  vast  numbers  of 
ladies  constantly  at  work  for  the  benefit  of  their  own  troops, 
and  amongst  them  was  ever  prominent,  Mrs.  General  E.  E. 
Lee.  On  one  occasion,  hearing  that  a  detail  of  men  from  the 
Fifty-third  North  Carolina  regiment  were  engaged,  during 
severe  weather,  in  rebuilding  the  plank-road  near  Orange 
Court-house,  Virginia,  she  made  and  presented  to  them  thirty- 
seven  pairs  of  most  useful  gloves,  a  gift  the  more  valuable  on 
account  of  the  difficulty  and  the  cost,  at  that  time,  to  a  soldier 
in  procuring  them. 

One  more  trait  illustrative  of  General  Lee's  personal  char 
acter  as  a  man,  and  yet  as  a  military  chief,  and  we  pass  to 
other  and  sterner  things.  A  soldier  had  deserted,  and  had  gone 
back  to  his  wife,  who,  however,  in  spite,  as  she  said,  of  her  love 
for  him,  and  the  suffering  and  hardship  she  endured  in  conse 
quence  of  his  absence,  would  not  shield  him  when  officers 
came  in  search.  The  army  needed  every  man  in  her  country's 


GENERAL    ROBERT   EDMUND    LEE.  119 

hour  of  tribulation,  and  to  protect  him  while  other  brave  men 
perilled  their  lives,  and  other  women  had  to  be  separated  from 
their  husbands,  brothers,  and  sires,  was  against  her  sense  of 
duty.  Therefore,  he  was  arrested,  though  she  was  aware 
the  sentence  for  his  crime  would  be  death.  But,  having  done 
her  duty,  her  woman's  nature  strove  all  in  her  power  to  get 
him  pardoned,  and  that  heroic  wife,  that  true  woman,  had  the 
bliss  of  succeeding.  General  Lee,  hearing  of  the- case,  granted 
his  reprieve  at  the  moment  of  execution,  giving  as  his  reason 
for  doing  so,  that  it  was  on  account  of  the  noble-minded, 
patriotic  wife,  and  as  an  encouragement  for  other  wives  to  be 
equally  true  to  their  country  and  their  duty. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  general  occurrences  connected  with 
Lee,  from  the  beginning  of  1861. 

On  the  2d  of  January,  in  the  Confederate  Senate,  at  Rich 
mond,  Mr.  Johnson,  of  Arkansas,  submitted  the  following, 
with  reference  to  General  Lee  and  his  army: 

"  Whereas,  the  campaigns  of  the  brave  and  gallant  armies 
covering  the  capital  of  the  Confederate  States,  during  the  two 
successful  years  of  1862  and  1863,  under  the  leadership  and 
command  of  General  Robert  E.  Lee,  have  been  crowned  with 
glorious  results ;  and, 

"  Whereas,  these  and  other  illustrious  services  rendered  by 
this  able  commander,  since  the  commencement  of  the  war  of 
independence,  have  especially  endeared  him  to  the  hearts  of 
his  countrymen,  and  have  imposed  on  Congress  the  grateful 
duty  of  giving  expression  to  their  feelings;  therefore,  it  is 

"  Resolved,  by  the  Congress  of  the  Confederate  States  of 
America,  That  the  thanks  of  Congress  are  hereby  tendered  to 
General  Robert  E.  Lee,  and  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the 
Confederate  armies  under  his  command,  for  the  great  and  sig 
nal  victories  they  have  won  over  the  vast  hosts  of  the  enemy, 
and  for  the  inestimable  services  they  have  rendered  in  defence 
of  the  liberty  and  independence  of  our  country. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  President  be  requested  to  communicate 
these  resolutions  to  General  Robert  E.  Lee,  and  to  the  officers 
and  soldiers  herein  designated." 

After  some  remarks  by  senators,  highly  complimentary  to 
General  Lee  and  the  army,  the  resolutions  were  unanimously 
adopted,  and  were  afterwards  made  known,  by  the  commander- 


120  SOUTHEKN    GENERALS. 

in-chief,  in  handsome  terms,  to  his  officers  and  men.  At  about 
the  same  time  he  announced,  in  a  special  order,  to  the  Mis 
sissippi  soldiers  under  his  command,  the  resolutions  of  thanks 
of  their  own  State  Legislature. 

The  month  of  January  now  passed  without  any  military 
event  of  importance,  except  cavalry  raids,  and  the  capture  of 
a  Union  wagon  train  by  General  Rosser,  of  Early's  division,  at 
Petersburg,  in  Northwest  Virginia,  on  the  30th,  and  the  fur 
ther  destruction,  on  February  2d,  of  bridges  over  the  Patter 
son  creek,  and  north  branch  of  the  Potomac,  besides  taking  a 
number  of  prisoners. 

In  the  month  of  February,  on  the  6th,  the  Federals  crossed 
in  large  force  at  Morton's  ford,  but,  after  a  sharp  contest,  were 
repulsed  by  General  Edward  Johnson's  division,  and  driven 
back  over  the  river.  They  also  attempted  to  cross  at  Barnett's 
ford,  but  were  repulsed  by  General  Scales'  North  Carolina  bri 
gade  and  Lomax's  cavalry. 

On  February  28th,  General  Custer  of  the  Union  cavalry, 
made  a  raid  on  the  left  flank  of  Lee's  army,  and  succeeded  in 
getting  as  far  as  the  vicinity  of  Charlottesville,  where  a  camp 
of  Stuart's  horse  artillery  was  stationed,  near  the  Ravenna 
river.  The  huts  of  this  camp  were  arranged  with  mathemati 
cal  precision  and  soldierlike  regularity.  On  one  side  were  the 
horses,  quietly  standing  at  the  time  Ouster's  men  approached ; 
on  the  other  side,  pieces  of  artillery  were  packed  with  all  the 
appurtenances  neatly  arranged,  and  close  to  the  caissons. 

It  was  about  noon  on  Monday  when  the  Federal  horse  ap 
proached  this  camp,  and  immediately  the  Confederates  sounded 
alarm.  But  the  surprise  was  so  sudden,  that  it  was  found 
impossible  to  save  the  caissons  in  the  prompt  retreat  which 
had  to  be  made.  Captain  Moorman,  who  commanded  the 
post,  ordered  the  men  to  retire,  with  what  guns  they  could 
save,  to  a  neighboring  hill,  whence  they  kept  up  a  galling  fire 
upon  the  Union  cavalry,  now  engaged  destroying  the  camp. 
This  done,  and  the  Southerners  obtaining  reinforcements,  Gen 
eral  Custer  and  his  men  retreated  towards  their  own  lines. 
On  the  way,  General  Stuart,  having  swiftly  followed  on  receipt 
of  the  news,  met  Custer  near  Stannardsville,  and  a  sharp  en 
counter  took  place,  the  Union  commander  gallantly  charging 
through,  and  ultimately  reaching  his  own  camp  in  safety. 


GENERAL  ROBERT  EDMUND  LEE.  121 

This  expedition  of  General  Ouster's  was  mainly  for  tlie  pur 
pose  of  drawing  away  the  Confederate  cavalry  from  the  Cen 
tral  railroad  to  Richmond,  so  as  to  allow  General  Kilpatrick 
the  better  to  accomplish  an  object  then  in  view,  of  penetrating 
within  or  to  the  fortifications.  This  bold  exploit  was  emi 
nently  successful,  except  in  the  cutting  off  of  Lee's  communica 
tions,  and  getting  within  the  works  around  the  capital. 

But  we  must  now  hasten  on  to  the  more  important  events 
that  were  shortly  to  occur. 

At  this  period,  the  beginning  of  March,  the  strength  of 
the  Confederate  armies  was  estimated  at  314,000. 

Lee's  force  was,  as  we  have  said,  stationed  along  the  Rapi- 
dan,  and  Meade's  on  the  banks  of  the  Eappahannock.  But 
now  another  important  actor  was  to  appear  upon  the  scene. 
Ulysses  S.  Grant,  who  had  made  himself  famous  as  the  hero 
of  Fort  Donelson,  Shiloh,  and  Vicksburg,  had  been  appointed 
Lieutenant-general  and  Commander-in-chief  of  all  the  Union 
forces.  Modest  and  unpretending,  calm  and  thoughtful  in  his 
mind,  he  was  considered  well  fitted  to  cope  with  Lee  ;  and, 
immediately  upon  the  assumption  of  his  rank  he  prepared  for 
active  exertions  in  the  field. 

General  Lee,  now  reinforced  by  Longstreet,  was  not  idle  in 
adopting  all  precautionary  measures  to  meet  him.  He  strong 
ly  intrenched  his  lines,  dug  rifie-pits  at  the  fords  of  the  Rapi- 
dan,  and  kept  a  good  force  on  the  Gordonsville  road  so  as  to 
hold  the  communication  open  to  Richmond  by  that  route, 
while  by  the  way  of  Fredericksburg  lie  destroyed  the  bridges 
and  rails  in  order  to  prevent,  or  make  more  difficult,  the 
enemy's  advance  in  that  direction.  Thus,  then,  when  the 
battle  between  the  two  parties  was  likely  to  commence,  it  was 
sure  to  be  again  a  bloody  one.  What  the  plan  of  the  new 
campaign  would  be  no  one  but  the  few  initiated  knew.  Gen 
eral  Grant  was  exceedingly  reticent,  and  Lee  equally  so.  In 
deed,  on  both  sides,  all  communications  respecting  movements 
of  the  army  were  forbidden  to  be  published.  The  visit  of 
General  Grant  to  Butler  at  Fortress  Monroe,  indicated  some 
important  strategic  operation  in  connection  with  the  cam 
paign,  but  nothing  appeared  as  to  the  actual  object  in  view. 

On  the  7 th  of  April  General  Lee  issued  a  general  order  di 
recting  the  morrow  to  be  observed  "  as  a  day  of  fasting,  hu- 


122  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

miliation,  and  prayer."  All  military  duties,  unless  absolutely 
necessary,  were  to  be  suspended,  and  the  chaplains  were  de 
sired  to  hold  divine  service  in  their  regiments  and  brigades. 
Officers  and  men  were  "  requested"  to  attend.  This  passed, 
the  final  preparations  were  made  for  the  deadly  struggle  that, 
it  was  evident,  would  soon  commence.  The  Northern  army 
was  strong,  fresh,  vigorous,  and  anxious  for  the  fight.  The 
Southerners  were  firm,  defiant,  and  maddened  with  the  sense 
of  wrongs  they  felt  had  been  inflicted  upon  them  and  their 
homes.  "  For  your  stricken  country's  sake,  and  ours,"  said 
the  "wives,  daughters,  sisters,  and  friends"  of  these  soldiers  in 
a  published  address  to  them,  "be  true  to  yourselves  and  our 
glorious  cause.  Never  turn  your  back  on  the  flag,  nor  desert 
the  ranks  of  honor,  or  the  post  of  danger.  You  are  constantly 
present  to  our  minds.  The  women  of  the  South  bestow  all 
their  respect  and  affection  on  the  heroes  who  defend  them." 
"With  such  an  appeal  to  them,  who  can  doubt  that  the  soldier 
— with  rare  exceptions — remained  true  and  undaunted  ? 

General  Lee  now  sent  to  the  rear  all  superfluous  baggage, 
and  unnecessary  incumbrances.  The  sick  and  useless  were 
removed  from  the  camp,  and  due  transportation  provided  for 
the  movement  of  stores,  and  the  conveyance  of  wounded  in 
the  forthcoming  battles.  Ever  since  Kilpatrick's  u  fruitless 
raid,"  the  Confederates  had  kept  a  battery  in  position  at  Ely's 
ford,  and,  when  a  party  of  foreign  officers,  visiting  the  Union 
army,  rode  to  the  front  one  day  to  examine  Lee's  position, 
they  expressed  an  opinion  that  it  was  all  but  impregnable,  so 
strongly  and  admirably  had  he  fortified  it.  As  to  the  South 
itself,  and  what  was  thought  there,  we  need  hardly  say  that  very 
hopeful  ideas  were  prominent  in  the  printed  opinions.  Gen 
eral  Grant  was  admitted  to  be  "  a  man  of  far  more  energy  and 
ability  than  any  that  had  yet  commanded  the  army  of  the 
Potomac,"  but  "  his  performances  would  bear  no  comparison 
whatever  to  those  of  General  Lee." 

Thus  stood  the  two  armies,  and  thus  awaited  and  hoped  the 
people  of  the  North  and  South,  towards  the  end  of  April, 
when  at  length  some  symptoms  of  an  active  movement  oc 
curred.  About  the  23d  of  April,  General  Grant,  whose  head 
quarters  were  at  Culpepper,  ordered  portions  of  two  army 
corps  to  make  a  feint  on  Lee's  left,  and  draw  back  Longstreef  8 


GENERAL  ROBERT  EDMUND  LEE.  123 

supposed  movement  in  that  direction.  The  result,  however, 
was  merely  a  reconnoissance  on  the  part  of  the  Union  forces, 
and  the  occupation  of  Warrenton  by  the  Confederates.  In  the 
latter  part  of  April  the  famous  Court-house  at  Madison  was 
destroyed  by  an  expedition  sent  from  Washington.  The  Con 
federates  occupying  the  locality  were  attacked, — retreated, 
and  fought  in  the  town.  The  result  was  that  the  Union  troops 
compelled  a  retreat  of  their  opponents  by  firing  the  place,  and 
reducing  nearly  every  house  to  ashes.  On  the  29th  of  April 
Mobby  surprised  a  Union  picket  post  of  men  at  Hunter's  Mill 
in  Fairfax  county,  and  captured  six  men,  and  eighteen  horses. 
The  rest  escaped.  Afterwards  he  was  pursued,  and  the  Fed 
erals  recaptured  live  horses,  and  took  prisoner  one  of  his  lieu 
tenants. 

May  now  opened,  and  the  great  and  bloody  drama  of  the 
war  recommenced.  On  Tuesday  night,  May  3d,  the  Union 
army  broke  up  its  encampments  and  at  dawn  of  next  morning 
crossed  the  Rapidan  at  the  old  fords — Ely's  and  Germania — 
and  in  much  the  same  line  that  Meade  attempted  in  the  pre 
vious  November,  and  where  Lee  had  caused  Hooker  to  retreat 
a  year  before.  The  Second  corps,  commanded  by  General 
Hancock,  in  front,  crossed  at  Ely's  ford,  the  Fifth  corps,  under 
Warren,  took  the  Germania  ford,  while  the  Sixth  (Sedgwick's) 
followed  immediately  upon  it.  Two  corps  of  Lee's  army  were 
at  once  moved  to  meet  them, — EwelPs  by  the  old  turnpike, 
and  Hill's  by  the  plank-road.  The  advance  of  Ewell's  corps — 
Johnson's  division — arrived  within  three  miles  of  Wilderness 
run  that  evening  and  encamped.  Rodes  lay  in  his  rear ;  and 
Early  was  next  at  Locust  Grove,  all  ready  to  strike  at  Grant's 
advance  the  next  morning.  At  about  6  A.  M.  the  enemy  was 
discovered  by  the  skirmishers  thrown  out,  and  Johnson  imme 
diately  pressed  forward  to  gain  a  hill  where  he  proceeded  to 
form  his  troops  in  line  of  battle.  The  Union  forces  now  ad 
vanced  as  well  as  they  could  through  the  thick  tangled  forest 
already  mentioned  in  describing  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville, 
with  a  heavy  line  of  skirmishers  in  front,  and  followed  by  a 
solid  column  four  lines  deep.  At  the  first  onslaught,  the  Con 
federate  skirmishers  were  driven  in,  and  the  Fifth  corps  of  the 
Union  army  came  thundering  along,  unchecked  by  a  terrible 
fusilade  from  Johnson's  line,  until  with  deadly  fire,  and  after 


124:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

a  brief  struggle,  General  Jones'  brigade  of  Virginians  were 
forced  back.  Jones  strove,  in  desperation,  to  rally  his  broken 
troops,  but  with  no  avail ;  and,  as  the  brave  general  was  im 
ploring  his  men  to  stop  their  flight,  a  ball  struck  him,  and  he 
fell  from  his  saddle  a  bleeding  corpse.  Captain  Early,  of  his 
staff,  was  at  the  same  time  also  killed.  ]STow  came  the  decis 
ive  moment.  Warren's  men  poured  forward  with  stern  deter 
mination,  but  just  then  General  Stewart  moved  from  his  posi 
tion  in  line  of  battle  and  with  a  wild  cheer  dashed  upon  the 
advancing  Federals,  driving  them  back  by  the  impetus  of  his 
charge,  and  capturing  their  guns.  At  the  same  time  Ewell 
ordered  Daniels'  and  Gordon's  brigades  of  Rodes'  division  to 
form  on  the  right  and  charge.  They  did  so,  crushing  through 
the  enemy's  first  lines,  and  capturing  many  prisoners,  besides 
some  guns.  The  Federal  front,  now  thrown  into  confusion, 
fell  back  and  retreated  some  distance.  Meanwhile,  the  Union 
troops  were  engaged  in  a  heavy  conflict  on  the  left  of  this  part 
of  the  field,  wTith  General  Stafford  at  the  head  of  his  Louisian- 
ians,  who  succeeded  in  repulsing  them,  but  with  the  loss  of 
the  general,  who  fell  mortally  wounded.  Sedgwick  had  now 
come  up,  and  fiercely  attacked  the  Confederate  left  flank,  but 
was  repulsed  by  Pegram's  and  Hays'  divisions.  But  again 
the  brave  Federals  came  on  in  dense  masses,  and  the  fight  was 
renewed  till  after  dark  with  great  slaughter,  Pegram,  himself, 
falling  severely  wounded.  The  en^airemerit  for  that  day  now 

O  »/  O      CD  J 

ended,  and  both  parties  maintained  their  position  on  the  field. 
Meanwhile,  Hill's  corps  had  moved  along  the  Fredericks- 
burg  plank-road,  Heth  and  Wilcox  in  advance,  while  Ander 
son  remained  behind  for  a  time  to  guard  some  fords.  The 
two  divisions  bivouacked  for  the  niirht  of  the  4th  near  Ver- 

O 

diersville.  Next  morning  the  march  was  pursued  along  the 
same  road,  and  parallel  with  that  which,  at  the  same  time, 
Ewell  was  taking,  though  some  three  miles  apart,  the  inter 
vening  space  being  the  u  Wilderness"  heretofore  described. 
While  thus  marching  an  incident  occurred  that  must  be  nar 
rated  as  personally  affecting  General  Lee. 

Between  the  two  parallel  lines  of  inarch,  and  in  a  part  of 
the  wilderness,  was  an  open  field,  where,  during  the  forenoon, 
the  commander-in-chief,  with  General  Hill  and  some  other 
officers,  were  seated  on  the  ground  in  consultation.  At  this 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  125 

moment,  some  of  the  enemy's  scouts  and  skirmishers,  arrived 
near  the  spot,  and  might  with  the  greatest  ease  have  shot 
General  Lee,  had  they  not,  on  finding  their  dangerous  position, 
hastily  retreated,  ignorant  of  who  it  was  that  had  lain  so 
closely  at  the  mercy  of  their  rifles. 

General  Lee  now  opened  a  communication  with  Ewell,  and 
"Wilcox's  division  moved  forward  to  effect  the  junction.  The 
line  of  battle  thus  completed,  now  extended  from  the  right  of 
the  plank-road  through  a  succession  of  open  fields  and  dense 
forest  to  the  left  of  the  turnpike.  It  presented  a  front  of  six 
miles,  and  occupied  a  very  irregular  plane  along  the  broken 
slopes  of  the  stream  known  as  the  Wilderness  Run.  There 
was,  however,  in  the  front,  an  almost  impenetrable  thicket 
which,  as  necessarily  occupied  by  the  Union  troops,  prevented 
their  artillery  being  used  except  in  the  openings  of  the  roads. 

It  was  now  about  2  p.  M.  (May  5th),  and  large  columns  of 
the  enemy  were  seen  coming  up,  along  the  roads  from  the 
Union  rear.  The  attack  then  began  in  front  of  Hill,  Heth's 
division  for  some  time  bearing  the  whole  brunt  of  the  fierce 
onslaught  of  the  Federal  troops.  This  being  perceived  by 
General  Hill,  he  ordered  Wilcox  from  Swell's  right  to  come 
to  the  support,  which  was  done  in  double  quick,  at  about  4  p.  M. 
The  conflict  now  was  again  most  fearful,  and  continued  with 
no  important  advantage  to  either  side,  but  with  considerable 
loss  in  killed  and  wounded,  until  night  closed  in  and  com 
pelled  the  combatants  to  cease. 

During  that  night,  the  two  armies  lay  so  close  to  each  other 
as  to  be  within  hearing.  Indeed,  a  small  stream  on  the  Con 
federate  left  constituted  their  mutual  supply  of  water,  and  was 
so  near  both,  that  men  from  either  side  going  out  to  fill  their 
canteens  from  it,  were  very  often  captured  by  some  from  the 
other.  It  was  in  this  manner  Colonel  Baldwin,  of  the  First 
Massachusetts  regiment,  while  slaking  his  thirst,  wTas  taken 
prisoner. 

We  must  now,  for  a  moment,  turn  back  to  Longstreet's 
corps,  wThich,  on  the  3d,  was  posted  some  thirteen  miles  south 
west  of  the  original  position  on  the  Rarpidan.  Ordered  by  Lee 
to  march  forward,  it  moved  from  Gordonsville  on  the  morning 
of  the  4th,  and  on  the  night  of  the  5th  it  halted  within  twelve 
miles  of  the  advanced  field  of  battle  just  described.  News, 


126  SOUTHEKN   GENEKALS. 

however,  now  reached  Longstreet,  at  midnight,  of  Hill's  dan 
ger  in  front,  and,  accordingly,  at  2  A.  M.  of  the  6th,  he  aroused 
his  sleeping  men  from  their  bivouac,  and  marched  on  to  the  field 
of  battle.     That  morning,  at  daylight,  General  Lee  was  him 
self  well  in   the  advance,  but  on  renewing  the  engagement, 
such  was  the  impetuous  valor  of  the  Union  troops  that,  despite 
the  most  determined  bravery  of  Heth's  and  Wilcox's  divisions, 
they  were  overpowered,  and  had  to  give  way.     On  rushed  the 
victorious  Federals,  pushing  the  Confederates  before  them  to 
within  a  hundred   and  fifty  yards  of  Lee,  when,  at  that   mo 
ment,  McLaws'  division  of  Longstreet's  corps  arrived,  and  for 
a  time  checked   the   enemy   in   his  victorious  career.     Then 
came  up  Anderson's  division,  and  presently  Longstreet   him 
self  rushed  forward  with  his  staff  to  the  front.     Loud  were  the 
cheers  that  greeted  him  and  General  Lee  as  each  rode  on, — the 
former  taking  the  more  advanced  post,  and  the  latter  person 
ally  directing  and  encouraging  the  men.     Longstreet  galloped 
forward,  and  as  he  pushed  on,  General  Jenkins  spurred  to  his 
side  to  grasp  his  hand,  with  the  true  pleasure  of  a  soldier- 
friend, — for,   be  it  remembered,   Longstreet   had  but    newly 
arrived  from  several  months'  campaign  in  Eastern  Tennessee. 
But,  alas !  hardly  had  the  mutual  congratulations  passed  each 
other's  lips,  when  a  deadly  volley  from  one  of  their  own  bri 
gades — mistaking  Longstreet,  Jenkins,  and  the  rest,  for  a  party 
of  the  flying  foe — poured  into  them,  at  short  range.     Jenkins 
fell  instantly  from  his  horse  a  lifeless  corpse,  while  Longstreet 
received  a  ball  that  entered  his  throat  and  passed  out  through 
his  right  shoulder.     It  was  supposed  that  he  was  dead,  but  it 
was  not  so,  and  he  was  speedily  taken  to  the  rear  for  medical 
care. 

The  battle  now  became  general,  and  the  field  was  well  con 
tested  on  both  sides.  At  one  time,  however,  the  aspect  of 
affairs  was  so  alarming  for  the  South  that,  fearing  for  the  con 
stancy  of  his  troops  under  such  fierce  attacks,  General  Lee 
placed  himself  at  the  head  of  Gregg's  brigade  of  Texans,  and 
ordered  them  to  follow  him  in  a  charge.  But  the  wounded 
Longstreet,  ere  he  was  moved,  raised  his  feeble  voice  to  pro 
test  against  it,  and  even  the  rough  soldiers  positively  refused 
to  move  until  their  beloved  general  in-chief  had  gone  to  his 
proper  position  of  safety. 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  127 

Ewell,  on  the  extreme  left,  was  battling  severely  against  the 
powerful  onslaughts  of  the  enemy,  and  by  a  successful  move 
ment  completely  repelled  Burnside's  attempt  to  outflank  him, 
in  the  space  between  Lee's  two  wings  left  vacant  by  Wilcox's 
removal.  Ewell  then  united  with  the  right,  arid  again  and 
again  were  the  most  valiant  charges  made  on  both  sides  with 
out  the  crown  of  victory  alighting  positively  on  either  party. 
Success,  in  a  detached  form,  undoubtedly  attended  the  one 
side  and  the  other.  Both  took  prisoners,  and  captured  guns, 
colors,  and  materiel  ;  but  the  general  results  were  about  equal, 
and  when  night  again  closed  upon  the  scene,  it  was  to  blot 
out  of  sight,  for  a  few  hours,  another  terrible  field  of  carnage, 
no  more  decisive  than  had  been  that  of  the  day  before.  In 
this  battle,  General  Lee  so  much  exposed  himself  that  Presi 
dent  Davis  wrote  him  a  touching  letter  of  remonstrance.  The 
explosion  of  a  shell  under  his  own  horse,  the  killing  of  the 
horse  of  his  Adjutant-general,  Lieutenant-colonel  Taylor,  and 
the  wounding  of  another  officer,  Lieutenant-colonel  Marshall, 
attached  to  his  person,  caused  great  and  most  affectionate 
anxiety  in  the  army. 

On  Saturday,  the  seventh,  both  armies  moved  their  position 
— Grant's  to  take  an  interior  road  towards  Richmond  by  the 
Spottsylvania  Court-house,  and  Lee's,  back,  apparently,  to 
wards  Orange  Court-house,  but  in  reality  it  was  to  reach 
Spottsylvania  before  the  enemy.  Something  like  a  neck  and 
neck  race  took  place,  but  the  advance  of  Lee  arrived  first  and 
took  up  a  good  position,  the  main  army  quickly  following. 
Xext  morning,  Sunday,  May  8th,  a  part  of  Warren's  Fifth 
corps  of  Federals,  under  General  Robinson,  tried  to  dislodge 
Longstreet's  corps — now  under  Anderson's  command — from 
their  strong  position,  but  were  repulsed,  and  General  Robinson 
wounded.  Grant  now  placed  his  army  in  line  of  battle,  Han 
cock  being  on  the  right,  Warren  in  the  centre,  and  Sedgwick 
on  the  left,  the  line  reaching  about  seven  miles.  The  day 
following,  about  2  p.  M.,  the  engagement  began,  but  consisted 
principally  of  skirmishing.  It  was,  however,  at  that  time 
General  Sedgwick  was  killed. 

Tuesday,  May  10th,  the  struggle  was  renewed  at  an  early 
hour,  Warren's  corps  being  the  one  most  hotly  engaged  against 
the  Confederates,  though  all  were  fighting  heavily.  About 


128  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

half-past  five  two  divisions  of  Hancock's  second  corps  crossed 
the  Po  river  and  advanced  against  Lee's  left,  making  a  strong 
show  of  giving  battle  there.  Lee,  supposing  the  enemy  was 
massing  forces  at  that  point,  moved  his  troops  during  the  night 
and  next  day  to  that  quarter,  but,  in  the  morning  of  Thursday, 
the  12th,  it  was  found  that  Hancock  wras  again  in  the  centre, 
and  vigorously  assaulting  Johnson's  division.  The  struggle, 
here,  now  became  very  fierce.  Charge  after  charge  was  made 
by  the  Confederates  to  regain  what  ground  they  had  lost,  but 
the}7  were  met  so  determinedly  that  each  time  they  fell  back 
with  broken  and  shattered  ranks.  The  dead  and  wounded,  ac 
cording  to  the  report  of  one  eye  witness,  here  lay  piled  over 
each  other,  "the  latter  often  underneath  the  former."  Gen 
erals  Edward  Johnson  and  G.  II.  Stuart  were  taken  prisoners  ; 
and,  on  the  Union  side,  Generals  Wadsworth  and  Hayes  were 
killed,  besides  Sedgwick,  as  previously  mentioned,  and  many 
more  of  lesser  rank. 

It  was  now  evident  that  Grant's  strategy  was,  by  a  series  of 
flank  movements  on  Lee's  right,  so  to  revolve  around  him, 
even  as  the  fierce  cyclones  of  a  tropical  clime  gyrate  in  their 
rapid  career,  that  a  constant  surprise  might  be  created,  and 
the  Confederate  army  kept  unsettled,  until  the  Union  forces 
had  again  reached  the  old  battle-ground  of  McClellan's  on  the 
Peninsula.  To  aid  in  this,  a  cavalry  expedition  was  dispatched 
by  Grant,  while  Lee  was  on  the  Rapidan,  down  the  Richmond 
railroad.  This  expedition  was  under  command  of  General 
Sheridan,  since  so  noted  in  the  Shenandoah  Yalley.  It  first 
effected  some  damage  at  Beaver  Dam,  and  thence  moved 
rapidly  to  the  South  Anna  and  the  Ashland  station.  But  Gen 
eral  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  promptly  followed,  and  on  May  llth 
overtook  them  at  the  latter  place.  A  sharp  fight  commenced 
between  Fitz  Lee's  advance  and  the  enemy,  which  resulted  in 
Sheridan's  leaving  the  place  and  pushing  on  towards  the 
"  Yellow  Tavern,"  six  miles  only  from  Richmond.  Stuart 
quickly  moved  ahead  to  intercept  them,  while  General  Gordon 
was  aiding  him  by  attacking  them  in  the  rear.  An  engage 
ment  ensued,  and  it  was  here  that  the  lamented  Stuart  lost  his 
life. 

After  the  engagement  of  the  12th,  at  Spottsylvania,  little 
was  done  for   a  few  days   except  skirmishing,  but,  on   the 


GENERAL    EGBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  129 

16th,  Grant  made  a  retrograde  movement  to  the  Ny  river, 
where  he  received  reinforcements,  and  prepared  for  another 
battle.  Lee  occupied  the  same  position  he  had  previously 
held,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  Po.  On  the  18th 
Grant  made  an  assault  upon  Swell's  line,  with  a  view  of  turn 
ing  Lee's  left,  but  this  failing,  the  Union  troops  returned  to 
their  camp,  after  a  severe  loss.  At  the  same  time  Grant  began 
another  of  his  flank  movements,  by  moving  to  Guinney's  sta 
tion,  some  ten  miles  east  of  Spottsylvania,  on  the  railroad. 
The  Union  cavalry,  under  Torbert,  went  in  advance  to  clear 
the  way,  and  the  right  corps  followed.  Lee  was  thus  neces 
sarily  obliged  to  evacuate  his  position  on  the  Po,  and  by  an 
admirable  movement  took  up  a  new  position  between  the 
North  and  South  Ajina  rivers  before  Grant's  army  had  arrived. 
On  Friday,  the  20th,  the  Federal  cavalry  had  reached 
Milford  station,  and  the  next  and  following  day,  Hancock, 
Wan-en,  Wright  (late  Sedgwick's  corps),  and  Burnside,  en 
camped  there. 

On  Sunday,  the  22d,  the  Union  line  of  battle  stretched 
in  a  curve  from  Milford  to  Guinney's,  through  Bowling 
Green,  and  on  the  next  day  Grant  determined  to  attack 
the  Confederate  lines.  Accordingly,  Warren  crossed  the  North 
Anna,  principally  at  Jericho  ford,  the  men  wading  waist- 
deep,  while  Hancock  engaged  at  Taylor's  bridge.  These  fords 
and  bridges  were  just  above  Sexton's  Junction.  Warren's 
corps  and  the  portion  of  Hancock's  which  had  crossed,  feeling 
their  way  towards  the  Little  river  and  the  Virginia  Central 
railroad,  were  fiercely  attacked,  and  were  only  extricated  from 
a  very  perilous  position  by  their  determined  bravery  and  the 
timely  arrival  of  Burnside  and  Wright, 

Next  day,  Tuesday,  May  24th,  the  fighting  continued  at 
Taylor's  bridge,  and  at  a  place  called  Oxford ;  and  on  Wednes 
day  Grant  found  it  necessary  to  make  another  flank  movement, 
by  recrossing  the  North  Anna,  and  marching  easterly  towards 
the  Pamunkey.  To  cover  his  plans,  an  attack  was  made  on 
Thursday  upon  Lee's  left,  while  a  portion  of  Sheridan's  cavalry 
tore  up  the  Central  Railroad  track.  As  this  was  going  on,  the 
Union  forces  withdrew,  merely  keeping  a  strong  body  of  skir 
mishers  in  front  of  the  Confederates,  in  order  to  mislead  them. 
But  General  Lee  was  fully  master  of  the  situation,  and  could 


130  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

not  be  thus  blinded.  Comprehending  Grant's  tactics,  lie  was 
as  prompt  in  his  movements,  and  as  skilful  in  his  strategy  as 
the  Union  commander.  Moreover,  the  scene  of  battle  was 
now,  once  more,  nearing  the  old  ground  where  his  first  great 
victories  had  been  won.  Richmond,  too,  the  home  of  trusting 
wives  and  families,  was  again  to  be  menaced  ;  and  a  wily,  as 
tute,  and  determined  foe  was  bent  on  its  destruction.  Ac 
cordingly,  no  sooner  did  Grant's  army,  on  the  28th,  arrive  at 
Hanovertown,  on  the  Panmnkey,  fifteen  miles  northeast  of 
Richmond,  than  it  was  found  the  Confederates  were  in  line  of 
battle,  from  Atlee's  station,  on  the  railroad,  ten  or  eleven 
miles  north  of  Richmond,  to  Shady  Grove,  eight  or  nine  miles 
north-northeast  of  the  capital.  To  reconnoitre  this  position, 
on  the  same  morning,  Grant  dispatched  Torbert  and  Gregg's 
division  of  cavalry  down  towards  Mechanicsville.  But  before 
arriving  there,  the  Confederate  cavalry,  under  Fitzhngh  Lee 
and  Hampton,  were  encountered  at  a  place  not  far  from  Tolo- 
patomoy  creek.  A  severe  engagement  followed,  ending  in  the 
Union  cavalry  remaining  on  the  field,  while  Lee  and  Hamp 
ton  fell  back  to  the  main  lines,  both  sides  suffering  much  loss. 
On  Sunday,  the  29th,  the  whole  of  the  Union  forces  were 
across  the  Pamunkey,  marching  towards  Richmond,  and  re 
inforcements  from  Butler's  army,  on  the  James  river,  were 
arriving  at  White  House,  which  once  more  formed  the  Federal 

C  / 

base  of  supplies. 

On  Monday,  May  30th,  the  Union  cavalry  pickets  on  the 
left  wTere  driven  in,  and  a  sharp  fight  ensued,  with  some  slight 
loss.  The  same  afternoon,  Rodes'  division  of  Swell's  corps 
hotly  attacked  Warren's  corps,  then  moving  along  the  Mechan 
icsville  road,  and  Crawford's  division  was  forced  back.  War 
ren's  flank  was  .also  in  danger,  but  reinforcements  arrived,  and 
though  General  Meade  ordered  an  attack  of  the  whole  line,  it 
was  dark  before  any  other  of  the  Federals  but  Hancock  could 
respond.  He,  with  his  accustomed  gallantry,  dashed  on,  and 
succeeded  in  obtaining  good  ground  in  the  advanced  Confed 
erate  lines,  but  with  no  other  important  advantage.  On  the 
next  day,  May  31st,  the  two  armies  were  ready  for  a  general  en 
gagement  ;  and  here,  for  a  moment,  let  us  review  the  whole 
situation  as  it  was  at  that  time,  when  the  singular  fortune  of 
war  had  again  made  the  Peninsula  a  deadly  battle-ground. 


GENERAL    EGBERT    EDMUND    LEE. 


One  month  had  hardly  elapsed  since  the  present  campaign 
had  begun,  and  of  those  brave  companions  and  friends  already 
lost  to  Lee,  and  to  the  Confederacy,  the  following  are  some  of 
the  prominent  names  : — 

Killed,  Major-general  J.  E.  B.  Stuart ;  Brigadier-general 
Stafford  ;  Brigadier  general  Jennings  ;  Brigadier-general  J.  M. 
Jones;  Colonels  Nances,  Grice,  Carter,  Forney,  A  very,  Ran 
dolph,  and  Binney  :  Wounded,  Lieutenant-general  Longstreet; 
Major-general  Hetli  ;  Major-general  Pickett ;  Brigadier-gen 
eral  Walker;  Brigadier-General  Hays;  Pegram;  Benning ; 
Colonels  Gailland,  Kenedy,  Herbet,  Ronlove,  Jones,  Sheffield, 
Whitehead,  Board,  Winston,  Lane,  Sanders,  Falum,  Miller, 
Davidson,  Lamar,  Crott,  Hartsfield,  Wilds,  Hodge,  and  Willett ; 
besides  Major-general  E.  Johnson  and  G.  II.  Stuart  captured. 

When  Lee  stood  in  array  against  Grant  at  the  Eapidan,  his 
force  was  then  estimated  at  less  than  80,000 ;  since  then  it  had 
been  considerably  decreased  by  the  many  killed,  and  the 
wounded  unfit  for  duty.  But  it  had,  also,  been  reinforced  by 
Breckinridge  with  his  troops,  so  that  it  now  numbered  about 
110.000  men. 

Grant's  army,  at  this  time,  was  estimated  at  200,000,  includ 
ing  all  the  reinforcements  sent  to  him  from  Butler. 

The  position  of  these  two  armies  was  as  follows  : — Grant  was 
between  the  Chickahominy  and  the  Pamunkey,  with  his  left 
thrown  forward  to  Mechanicsville,  his  right  withdrawn  to 
White  House,  and  his  reserve  massed  in  rear  of  his  lefr,  and 
Richmond  somewhat  behind  his  left  flank. 

Lee  was  posted  from  Atlett's  station,  on  his  left  (with  his 
advance  parties  towards  Hanover  Court-house),  to  Gaines' 
Mill,  with  outposts  as  far  as  Coal  Harbor.  This  position  of 
Lee's  was  nearly  identical  with  that  of  Jackson's  in  1862  ;  and 
indeed,  the  whole  Confederate  line  of  battle  was  on  ground  oc 
cupied  by  both  the  armies  at  that  time. 

On  Tuesday,  the  31st  of  May,  there  was  some  skirmishing 
between  the  two  parties,  and  a  cavalry  attack  at  Cold  Harbor, 
by  Sheridan,  against  Fitzhugh  Lee;  but  it  was  not  till  next 
day,  June  1st,  the  engagement  fully  began. 

Lee,  anticipating  Grant's  last  gyratory  movement,  had  de 
termined  to  secure  positions  he  knew,  from  the  battles  of  two 
years  before,  to  be  good  ones.  Accordingly  he  sent  forward 


132  SOUTHERN    GENEKALS. 

to  the  right,  Kershaw's  and  Hoke's  divisions  of  Anderson's 
corps,  with  orders  to  occupy  the  eminences  around  Games' 
Mill  and  Cold  Harbor.  As  already  stated,  Grant's  orders  had 
also  been  to  secure  these  places,  and  the  cavalry  engagement 
of  Tuesday  partly  effected  it.  But  on  arrival  of  Hoke's  di 
vision,  shortly  afterwards  reinforced  by  McLaws',  the  Confed 
erates  obtained  possession  of  the  desired  posts.  At  the  same 
time  Breckinridge  and  Mahone,  of  Hill's  corps,  were  equally 
successful  in  gaining  certain  advanced  positions. 

In  the  afternoon  an  attack  was  made  upon  Iletlrs  division, 
by  the  Federals,  reinforced  by  Baldy  Smith's  Eighteenth 
corps  ;  but  after  a  severe  and  gallant  fight,  were  unable  to 
gain  any  advantage.  Next  morning  it  was  found  that  Grant 
had  made  another  gyratory  movement,  even  as  Lee  suspected, 
and,  therefore,  he  was  closely  followed.  The  Confederates 
were  put  in  motion  on  a  parallel  line,  while  Early,  command 
ing  Ewell's  corps  (Ewell  being  sick),  swung  round,  late  in  the 
afternoon,  and  took  the  enemy  in  flank,  drove  him  from  two 
lines  of  intrenchments,  and  inflicted  great  loss.  Meanwhile 
Breckinridge,  supported  by  Wilcox,  proceeded,  under  orders 
from  Lee,  to  attack  the  advanced  Federals,  now  on  the  extreme 
right,  at  Turkey  Hill,  and  there  succeeded  in  driving  them 
away.  Thus  another  important  position  was  obtained  by  Lee, 
for  this  hill  commanded  the  approaches  from  the  north  and 
east  to  the  military  bridges  which  McClellan  had  formerly 
thrown  over  the  Chickahorniny.  It  was  evident  Jo  Lee  that 
Grant  was  aiming  for  those  bridges,  consequently  he  continued 
to  move  his  army  to  the  right,  until  he  had  thrown  it  across 
the  intended  path  of  the  Federals.  During  the  night,  breast 
works  were  hurriedly  thrown  up,  and  every  preparation  made 
for  the  attack.  This  commenced  early  on  the  morning  of 
Friday,  June  3d,  when  the  Union  army,  now  extending  from 
Tolopatomony  creek  to  and  across  the  road  from  Cold  Harbor 
to  the  Chickahominy,  advanced,  in  full  line  of  battle,  upon 
the  Confederate  army. 

The  formation  of  the  Union  line  of  battle  was  as  follows : 
From  right  to  left,  Burnside,  Warren,  Smith,  Wright,  and 
Hancock,  the  latter  thus  being  opposed  to  Breckinridge,  who 
was  on  Lee's  extreme  right,  and  Ewell's  corps  on  the  extreme 
left,  opposite  Burnside, — Hill's  corps  being  in  reserve.  Taking 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  133 

the  Confederate  right,  Hancock,  with  his  division  commanders 
Gibbon,  Barlow,  and  Birney,  dashed  gallantly  forward,  and, 
for  the  moment,  carried  the  position  held  by  Breckinridge, 
but  speedily  General  Finnegan,  with  Milligan's  Florida 
brigade  and  the  Maryland  battalion,  rushed  into  the  breach, 
and  swept  the  brave  Federals  out,  and  compelled  them  to 
retire,  though  only  to  a  short  distance.  On  the  right  of  Han 
cock,  the  sixth  and  eighteenth  corps  of  Wright  and  Smith 
assaulted,  with  all  their  force,  but  with  equally  bad  results; 
while  Warren  and  Burnside  vainly  strove  to  gain  some  advan 
tage  over  Lee's  troops  before  them.  "Numerous  were  the 
assaults  made  by  the  Federals,  but  such  was  the  determination 
of  the  Confederates  not  to  be  beaten,  that  no  amount  of  bravery 
on  the  Union  side  could  overcome  them.  The  slaughter  was 
again  immense,  but  we  may  not  dwell  upon  it.  Enough  that 
the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor  was,  after  five  hours'  fighting,  lost  to 
Grant  and  won  by  Lee. 

On  the  following  two  days,  Grant  renewed  the  attack  upon 
Lee,  but  without  success,  and  during  the  night  of  the  5th  he 
withdrew  his  right  wing  about  two  miles,  and  placed  it  behind 
a  swamp  which  protected  both  the  flank  and  front  of  that  por 
tion  of  his  army. 

The  battle  of  the  3d  was  fought  upon  the  same  ground  as 
the  battle  of  Games'  Mill  and  Cold  Harbor  in  1862.  It  was  at 
Cold  Harbor  that  Jackson  first  struck  McClellan's  right  and 
rear  in  his  first  grand  flank  movement,  a  fact  well  known  to 
the  Confederates,  and  from  which  they  drew  fresh  inspiration. 
The  position  of  the  armies  was  reversed  in  some  respects,  the 
Federals  occupying  nearly  the  same  ground  the  Confederates 
held  in  1862.  In  the  engagements  of  that  year  at  Games'  Mill 
and  Cold  Harbor,  McClellan,  though  strongly  intrenched,  was 
driven  from  his  position  with  heavy  loss.  Thus  far  Grant  had 
found  it  impossible  to  dislodge  the  Confederates  from  the  same 
ground.  The  latter  availed  themselves,  upon  some  parts 
of  the  field,  of  the  works  from  which  they  formerly  drove 
McClellan. 

Among  the  killed  on  the  Confederate  side  were  Brigadier- 
general  Doles,  of  Georgia ;  Colonel  L.  M.  Keitt,  of  South 
Carolina,  formerly  a  distinguished  member  of  the  United 
States  House  of  Representatives,  and  Colonel  Edwin  Willis,  of 


134  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

Georgia,  a  late  graduate  of  West  Point,  and  one  of  the  most 
promising  officers  in  the  Confederate  army.  Among  the 
wounded  were  Brigadier-general  Law,  of  Alabama,  Kirkland, 
of  Georgia,  and  Lane,  of  North  Carolina,  the  two  first  slightly. 
Major-general  Breckinridge  had  his  horse  killed  under  him  in 
the  night  attack  of  the  4th. 

On  the  evening  of  the  5th,  General  Grant  sent  a  communi 
cation  to  General  Lee,  proposing  that  when  the  armies  were 
not  actually  engaged,  either  party  may,  upon  notification  to 
the  other,  succor  its  wounded  and  bury  its  dead.  General 
Lee  replied  that  he  preferred  the  custom  common  on  such 
occasions — to  wit,  that  the  party  desiring  to  remove  its  wounded 
and  inter  its  dead  should  send  in  a  flag  of  truce  and  ask  per 
mission  to  do  so  ;  adding,  that  the  burial  party  should  be 
accompanied  by  white  flags.  To  this  Grant  rejoined,  affecting 
to  understand  General  Lee  as  accepting  his  proposition,  and 
informing  him  that  he  would  send  forward  a  force  between  the 
hours  of  12  and  3  p.  M.  of  the  6th,  to  care  for  the  wounded  aud 
killed,  and  that  they  would  be  instructed  to  carry  flags  of  the 
kind  designated  by  General  Lee.  The  latter  immediately 
informed  him  that  he  had  misunderstood  him,  and  that  if  he 
(Grant)  should  send  out  a  party  for  the  purpose  indicated 
without  first  obtaining  permission  under  flag  of  truce  to  do  so, 
he  would  cause  the  party  to  be  warned  off  by  his  pickets. 

Accordingly,  Grant  made  the  usual  request  for  permission 
to  bury  the  dead,  and  Lee  immediately  granted  it. 

For  several  days  after  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor  there  was 
comparative  quiet,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  unimportant 
skirmishes  and  picket  firing.  At  length,  on  the  12th  of  June, 
Grant  completed  his  preparations  to  abandon  the  late  field 
of  operations  about  the  Chickahominy,  cross  the  James'  river, 
and  occupy  the  south  side  towards  Petersburg.  To  do  this  he 
had  to  make  another  movement  round  Lee's  right,  extending 
as  far  as  Bottom's  bridge,  and  march  low  down  the  Chicka 
hominy  as  far  as  the  next  crossings  at  Long's  and  Jones' 
bridges.  The  movement  was  effected  with  consummate  skill, 
and  with  hardly  any  impediment.  On  Monday  evening,  June 
13th,  the  advance  had  reached  Wilcox's  landing  on  the  James, 
near  Charles'  City  Court-house,  and  the  next  day  the  whole 
Union  army  was  safely  transferred  over  to  the  opposite  shore. 


GENERAL  ROBERT  EDMUND  LEE.  135 

It  may  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to  some,  that  General  Lee 
did  not  attack  Grant  in  his  movement  to  the  James,  but  it 
must  be  borne  in  mind  that  Richmond  and  Petersburg  had 
both  to  be  guarded,  not  only  against  the  army  of  the  North, 
but  also  that  of  Butler,  who  had  come  up  the  river  in  force  to 
co-operate  with  Grant.  Consequently,  it  was  the  capital  that 
had  to  be  thought  of,  more  especially  as  Hunter  was  advancing 
along  the  road  to  Lynch  burg,  with  a  view  of  throwing  a  third 
army,  if  possible,  on  the  city.  Lee,  therefore,  acted  wisely  in 
not  forcing  his  troops  into  another  conflict  until  they  had  been 
recuperated,  and  additional  means  of  defence  prepared.  Some 
of  his  men  he  had  to  send  away  to  assist  in  checking  Hunter's 
advance,  and  it  was  about  this  time  another  brave  Confederate 
general,  J.  W.  Jones,  was  killed.  Then,  too,  Sherman's  opera 
tions  in  the  Western  part  of  Georgia  had  more  in  them  than 
met  the  general  eye.  Hence  there  was  much  to  guard  against, 
and  be  prepared  for.  Petersburg  was  well  able  to  withstand 
a  siege,  especially  with  the  additional  fortifications  promptly 
erected  around  it  and  on  the  banks  of  the  Appomattox,  while 
at  Fort  Darling,  Drnry's  Bluff,  there  was  as  good  and  strong 
a  point  of  defence  as  need  be  wished  for. 

At  the  time  Grant  determined  to  cross  the  James,  he  had 
already  sent  the  eighteenth  corps,  by  way  of  the  White  House, 
back  to  Fortress  Monroe,  in  transports.  Thence  it  proceeded 
up  the  James,  and,  at  1  A.  M.  of  June  the  15th,  disembarked  at 
Bermuda  Hundred.  The  different  forces,  thus  united,  now 
marched  rapidly  forward  to  invest  Petersburg.  It  had  been 
attacked  once  before,  on  the  9th,  by  an  expedition  from 
Butler's  army,  but,  after  making  a  gap  in  the  Confederate 
lines,  the  Federals  were  repulsed.  The  first  attack  was  made 
late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  loth,  by  15,000  men,  under  General 
Smith,  Hancock  then  advancing  along  the  road.  The  second, 
on  the  16th,  by  the  two  corps  combined,  and  the  third  on  the 
17th,  with  Burnside's  forces  in  addition  to  those  already  en 
gaged.  The  Union  losses  during  these  days  were  very  heavy, 
especially  so  among  the  officers.  On  the  18th,  a  fourth  attack 
was  made,  by  four  Union  corps,  and  in  several  desperate 
assaults  they  were  repulsed,  with  a  slaughter  even  more  terri 
ble  than  the  well-known  carnage  at  Fredericksburg  in  1862. 

Meanwhile  Butler,  taking  advantage  of  the  Confederates  in 


136  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

his  front  having  been  withdrawn  to  Petersburg,  sallied  from 
behind  his  intrenchments  and  advanced  towards  the  railroad, 
intending  to  tear  it  up,  but  Lee  promptly  prepared  for  him. 
The  lines  necessarily  vacated  by  Beauregard,  when  he  had  to 
fall  back  and  defend  Petersburg,  had  already  been  taken  pos 
session  of  by  the  Federals  ;  but  directly  Butler  made  his  at 
tempt,  General  Anderson  was  dispatched  with  his  corps  from 
Richmond  to  repulse  him.  This  wras  done  most  effectively, 
Pickett's  division  being  with  difficulty  restrained  in  their  im 
petuous  advance.  The  result  was  so  satisfactory,  and  the 
exploit  so  gallantly  accomplished,  that  General  Lee  issued  the 
following  congratulatory  dispatch : 

CLAY'S  HOUSE,  June  17 — o£  P.  M. 
LIEUT.-GEN.  R.  H.  ANDERSON,  Commanding  Longstreet's  Corps : 

GENERAL — I  take  great  pleasure  in  presenting  to  you  my 
congratulations  upon  the  conduct  of  the  men  of  your  corps.  I 
believe  that  they  will  carry  any  thing  they  are  put  against. 
"We  tried  very  hard  to  stop  Pickett's  men  from  capturing  the 
breastworks  of  the  enemy,  but  could  not  do  it.  I  hope  his 
loss  has  been  small. 

I  am,  with  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  E.  LEE,  General. 

That  the  statement  made  by  General  Butler,  to  the  effect 
that  he  had  destroyed  the  railroad,  was  a  mistake,  is  evident 
from  the  fact  that  Lee  was,  all  day,  on  the  18th,  sending  troops 
from  Richmond  to  join  Beauregard  at  Petersburg. 

The  same  evening,  Friday  17th,  at  10  o'clock,  an  attack 
was  made  on  Burnside's  line  of  advanced  rifle-pits  by  the  Con 
federates,  who  drove  the  enemy  back  on  his  supports,  and  re 
mained  in  possession  until  daylight,  when  they  retired  to  their 
own  works. 

The  strongest  part  of  the  Confederate  intrenched  line  was  in 
front  of  the  Second  Union  corps  (Hancock's),  then  under  Bir- 
ney's  command;  and  on  Saturday  the  18th,  the  attempt  al 
ready  mentioned  as  the  fourth  attack  was  unsuccessfully  made 
by  the  Fifth,  Eighteenth,  Second,  and  Tenth  corps  of  Federal 
troops  to  capture  this  line. 

This  check  to  the  Federals  in  regard  to  capturing  Peters 
burg,  by  them,  at  one  time,  thought  so  easy  of  accomplish- 


GENERAL  ROBKUT  EDMUND  LEE.  137 

ment.  was  only  what  Lee  felt  convinced  would  occur.  He 
had  fully  expected  that  city  would  he  attacked,  and  as  he 
well  knew  how  impregnable  it  could  he  made,  in  addition 
to  its  original  strength,  none  of  Grant's  movements  affected 
him.  On  the  contrary,  they  were  quite  in  accordance  with 
his  own  purposes.  As  for  the  siege  itself,  he  knew  it  must  be 
long,  and  this  would  give  him  ample  time  and  opportunity  to 
execute  certain  measures  for  the  defence  of  Richmond  on  the 
south,  which  he  might  not  otherwise  have  had. 

On  Wednesday,  the  22d,  an  attempt  was  made  by  the  Union 
forces  to  get  possession  of  the  Weldon  railroad,  but  when  they 
had  reached  the  Jerusalem  plank-road,  the  Confederates,  con 
sisting  of  A.  P.  Hill's  corps  and  Anderson's,  successfully  en 
countered  them,  and  drove  them  back  with  severe  loss.  Gen 
eral  Wilson,  however,  on  the  Union  side,  succeeded  in  reach 
ing  the  railroad  at  Ream's  station,  below  where  the  combatants 

O 

were  engaged,  and  tore  up  some  of  the  track,  but  which  was 
repaired  again  by  the  Confederates  soon  afterwards.  Wilson, 
joined  by  Ivautz,  then  struck  across  to  the  Petersburg  and 
Lynchbnrg  railroad,  destroying  it  in  their  progress.  They 
then  proceeded  to  the  Southside  railroad,  and  following  that, 
came  upon  the  Danville  track, — on  the  way  having  a  sharp 
engagement  with  a  small  Confederate  force  near  Xottoway 
Court-house,  night  ending  the  fight.  Continuing  along  the 
Danville  railroad  to  the  southwest,  they  arrived  at  the  cov 
ered  bridge  over  the  Staunton  river,  about  3  P.  M.  of  the  24th. 
There  a  body  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  militia  met 
them,  and  after  a  brisk  encounter  Wilson  and  Kautz  had  to 
retire.  This  was  the  limit  of  their  bold  and  adventurous  raid. 
They  returned  as  rapidly  as  they  could,  but  at  Ream's  station 
were  nearly  all  captured  by  a  Confederate  force  under  Hamp 
ton  and  Fitz  Hugh  Lee.  Kautz's  knowledge  of  the  country 
only  enabled  him  to  escape.  He,  with  his  shattered  band, 
reached  the  Union  camp  on  the  30th  of  June,  while  Wilson, 
with  his  men  in  a  pitiable  and  wretched  condition,  did  not  ar 
rive  till  next  day.  It  was  a  brave  undertaking,  but  produc 
tive  of  only  most  disastrous  results  to  themselves.'* 


*  In  General  Lee's  report,  dated  July  5th,  lie  says  the  Federal  loss  was 
one  thousand  prisoners,  thirteen  pieces  of  artillery,  thirty  wagons  and  am- 


138  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

General  Lee  was  now  in  person  at  Petersburg,  Beauregard 
still  remaining  in  charge  of  the  city  ;  and  on  the  28th  of  June, 
five  regiments  from  Ljnchburg,  where  they  were  no  longer 
required,  reinforced  him. 

Meanwhile  occasional  demonstrations  were  made  by  the 
Federals  against  the  Confederate  lines,  but  with  the  same 
want  of  success  as  before;  and,  while  this  was  going  on  in 
that  quarter,  with  Grant  fully  occupied  in  the  south  of  Vir 
ginia,  General  Lee  was  very  quietly  and  skilfully  sending 
another  army  of  invasion  into  the  Northern  States.  The  oc 
currences  pertaining  to  this  great  and  audacious  movement 
belong  more  to  a  history  of  the  war  than  a  biography  of  the 
able  military  chief  who  planned  it. 

Whether  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  Grant  away 
from  Petersburg  and  the  vicinity  of  Richmond,  or  to  throw 
terror  and  confusion  into  the  very  heart  of  those  who  sat  in 
the  executive  and  legislative  chairs  at  Washington,  the  mas 
terly  skill  and  ability  displayed  by  General  Lee  at  this  time, 
the  future  cannot  fail  to  laud  in  the  high  terms  it  deserves. 

Viewing  the  operations  of  Lee  at  this  time,  what  do  we 
find  ?  Petersburg  vainly  assaulted  and  holding  Grant  at  bay, 
the  brave  Union  troops  were  almost  themselves  as  if  be 
sieged,  instead  of  being  the  besiegers ;  and  feeling  this  to  be 
the  case — having  full  confidence  in  the  result — Lee  unhesita- 

O 

tingly  withdraws  a  large  portion  of  his  forces  for  a  new  inva 
sion  of  Maryland.  Grant  had  to  detach  "  Baldy"  Smith's 
corps  from  his  army,  and  hastily  send  it  to  Baltimore;  while 
Lee  left  at  Petersburg  nearly  "two  divisions  of  Swell's  corps, 
one  division  of  Longstreet's,  and  the  whole  of  A.  P.  Hill's." 
This  evidently  shows  an  amount  of  confidence  on  Lee's  part 
that  could  only  be  attained  by  the  most  masterly  skill  and 
experience  in  military  affairs.  Well  might  the  veteran  Gen 
eral  Scott's  words  be  remembered,  when,  as  currently  reported, 
he  remarked  to  this  effect,  "it  would  be  better  to  lose  any  one 
than  Lee,  so  clear,  far  seeing,  and  almost  omniscient  was  his 
judgment." 


balances,  many  small-arms,  horses,  ordinance  stores,  and  several  hundred 
negroes  they  had  taken  from  the  plantations  on  their  route,  besides  many 
killed  and  wounded  thev  had  to  leave  on  the  field." 


GENERAL   EOBEPwT    EDMUND    LEE.  139 

It  was  about  this  time,  the  middle  of  July,  that  a  report  be 
came  current  that  all  the  household  effects  of  General  Lee 
would  be  sold  at  public  auction.  The  sale  was  postponed, 
however,  in  consequence  of  some  doubt  as  to  the  real  owner 
ship  of  the  property,  it  originally  having  belonged  to  his 
father-in-law,  Mr.  Custis,  by  whom  it  was  bequeathed  to  his 
grandchildren ;  consequently  the  seizure  of  it  might  prove 
illegal.  Some  months  previous,  Lee's  family  estate,  the  Arling 
ton  House,  had  been  formally  seized,  confiscated,  and  sold  by 
order  of  and  for  the  use  of  Government;  and  the  White  House 
estate  had  long  ago  been  taken  from  him  for  military  purposes 
when  the  Union  troops  arrived  there,  though,  in  the  various 
changes  of  war,  it  had  come  back  and  been  lost  several  times. 
Thus,  few  men  and  few  families  had  abandoned  so  much,  or 
suffered  so  much  loss  and  ruin  by  adherence  to  the  Confederate 
cause — a  cause  they  believed  to  be  a  just  one — than  General 
Lee  and  his  devoted  wife,  with  her  brave  sons  and  their 
families.  Right  or  wrong,  the  Lees  of  the  South  have  un 
doubtedly  proved  themselves  pure-minded  and  disinterested. 

Towards  the  latter  part  of  July,  Grant  had  strengthened  his 
forces,  by  sending  additional  troops  over  to  Deep  Bottom,  on 
the  north  side  of  the  James,  where  for  some  time  he  had  sta 
tioned  a  large  body  of  men  ;  and,  while  little  of  importance  was 
going  on  actually  before  Petersburg,  this  force,  amounting  to 
some  20,000  men  and  twenty -two  pieces  of  cannon,  attacked 
the  Confederate  troops  near  Newmarket.  The  result,  on  either 
side,  was  unimportant,  but  it  was  generally  conceived  that  a 
more  determined  effort  would  soon  be  made  by  Grant  from 
his  three  main  positions,  Deep  Bottom,  Bermuda  Hundred, 
and  before  Petersburg,  and  that  operations  on  the  north  of  the 
James  were  merely  a  ruse  to  cover  his  real  designs.  On  Fri 
day,  July  27th,  the  demonstrations  on  the  Union  side,  at  Deep 
Bottom,  were,  however,  so  apparently  important,  that,  in  the 
eyes  of  nearly  all  but  Lee,  it  was  looked  upon  as  a  new  attempt 
on  Richmond.  General  Lee,  however,  was  not  deceived.  He 
knew  it  to  be  a  ruse  of  some  kind,  and  contented  himself  with 
dispatching  a  force  sufficient  to  check  Grant's  advance,  while 
he  kept  the  remainder  of  his  army  behind  the  intrenchments, 
calmly  awaiting  the  Federal  plans.  That  it  is  probable  he  had 
heard  all  about  them,  or  had  a  good  idea  of  what  they  were, 


140  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

may  be  inferred  from  several  little  matters  coming  from 
Federal  sources,  and  appearing  in  the  press.  But  the  public 
generally,  and  especially  the  humane  portion  of  the  civilized 
world,  could  have  formed  no  conception  of  the  horrible  truth 
as  it  was  soon  to  be  unfolded. 

On  the  25th  of  June  a  plan  was  suggested  by  Lieutenant- 
colonel  Pleasants,  of  the  Forty-eighth  Pennsylvania,  whereby 
a  tunnel  could  be  excavated  right  under  the  enemy's  works. 
It  was  at  once  adopted  by  Grant,  and  on  the  25th  of  July  the 
work  was  completed.  Its  length  was  about  live  hundred  feet, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  tunnel  the  mine  was  formed,  running 
parallel  with  and  directly  under  the  fort  that  was  to  be  de 
stroyed.  On  the  twenty-seventh,  the  enormous  quantity  of 
12,000  Ibs.  of  powder  was  placed  in  the  mine,  fuses  were  con 
structed  and  connected  with  the  magazine,  and  every  thing  was 
in  readiness  for  the  grand  explosion. 

It  was  also  arranged  that  immediately  after  the  explosion,  a 
grand  charge  should  be  made  against  the  other  parts  of  the 
enemy's  lines,  and  the  feint  of  operations  on  the  north  of  the 
James  was  merely  to  try  and  weaken  the  enemy  by  deceiving 
Lee  into  sending  away  a  portion  of  his  troops.  What  ensued 
when  the  mine  was  sprung  may  be  gathered  from  the  folio WT- 
ing  account  in  a  Southern  paper. 

"The  chasm  caused  by  the  enemy's  explosion  appears  to  be 
about  forty  feet  in  depth  and  some  two  hundred  feet  in  circum 
ference,  and  resembles  more  what  one  would  imagine  to  have 
been  the  effects  of  a  terrible  earthquake  than  any  thing  else. 
Immense  boulders  of  earth  were  piled  up  rudely  one  above 
the  other,  and  great  fragments  of  bomb-proofs,  gun-carriages, 
timbers,  etc.,  were  lying  promiscuously  in  every  direction. 

"The  sides  and  bottom  of  the  chasm  were  literally  lined  with 
Yankee  dead,  and  the  bodies  were  in  every  conceivable 
position.  Some  had  evidently  been  killed  with  the  butts  of 
muskets,  as  their  crushed  skulls  and  badly  smashed  faces  too 
plainly  indicated,  while  the  greater  portion  were  shot,  great 
pools  of  blood  having  flowed  from  their  wounds  and  stained 
the  ground. 

"  Between  our  breastworks  and  the  enemy's,  large  numbers  of 
dead  and  wounded  were  still  lying,  the  latter  begging  piteously 
for  water  and  praying  to  be  cared  for.  The  length  of  the 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE. 

'sap'  made  by  the  enemy  is  supposed  to  have  been  about  six 
hundred  feet." 

A  Petersburg  paper,  describing  the  struggle  for  the  repos 
session  of  the  Confederate  works  captured  by  the  enemy  in  the 
confusion  consequent  to  the  explosion,  says: 

"  Arriving  upon  the  ground.  General  Mahone  found  twelve 
of  the  enemy's  flags  waving  upon  the  ramparts  of  that  portion 
of  our  line  carried  by  the  explosion,  and  the  whole  vicinity 
swarming  with  white  and  black  Yankee  troops.  Getting  his 
men  into  position,  General  Mahone  ordered  his  forces  to 
retake  a  part  of  the  works,  and  instructed  Weight's  brigade 
to  come  up  in  such  a  manner  as  would  insure  the  recapture  of 
the  remaining  portion.  Under  command  of  Colonel  Weisiger, 
acting  brigadier,  Mahone's  brigade  formed  into  line,  and  were 
about  to  move  up,  when  the  enemy  rallied  out  and  made  a 
charge.  The  Confederates  reserved  their  fire  until  they  could 
see  the  whites  of  the  enemy's  eyes,  when  they  poured  into 
them  such  a  storm  of  bullets  that  the  enemy  recoiled  and  fell 
back  in  confusion.  A  charge  was  now  ordered,  and  Weisiger's 
men  dashed  forward  with  a  yell,  driving  the  enemy  up  to  and 
over  the  breastworks.  On  the  works  our  men  halted  and  de 
livered  a  plunging  fire,  which  proved  so  destructive  that  the 
enemy  never  rallied  again  on  this  portion  of  the  line,  but  left 
our  men  in  undisturbed  possession." 

For  some  time  after  the  mine  explosion,  but  little  was  done 
by  the  Federals  in  front  of  Petersburg.  Grant  went  to  the 
north  to  direct  some  movements  on  the  part  of  Sheridan  in  the 
Shenandoah  Yalley,  and  General  Lee,  accompanied  by  Gen 
eral  Beauregard  and  a  retinue  of  officers,  visited  the  hospitals 
at  Richmond,  to  see  how  their  brave  soldiers  were  faring. 
Speaking  of  it,  a  Richmond  paper  says  :  "  It  is  pleasant  to  the 
eye,  and  gratifying  to  the  heart,  to  behold  these  great  cham 
pions  of  our  national  honor,  turning  aside  for  a  season  from 
the  rigor  of  their  martial  duties,  and  lending  the  sympathies 
of  their  noble  souls  to  the  suffering  and  wounded,  whom  they 
have  led  to  glory  in  the  hour  of  battle.  We  love  our  generals 
the  better  when  we  witness  them  thus  giving  evidences  of  the 
tender  affection  they  bear  towards  their  men,  knowing  that 
they  find  narrow  scope  for  the  display  of  such  virtues  in  the 
storm  of  combat  upon  the  field  of  carnage." 


142  SOUTHERN    GKNEKALS. 

In  the  middle  of  August,  another  attempt  was  made  by 
Grant's  army,  on  the  north  of  the  James,  to  defeat  the  Confed 
erates,  but  again  Lee's  troops  were  successful.  On  the  18th 
and  19th,  however,  Grant's  left,  under  Warren,  after  a  defeat 
on  the  first  day,  succeeded  on  the  next  and  following  in  hold 
ing  the  Weldon  railroad,  and  enabling  the  Federal  commander 
to  form  his  plans  with  reference  to  the  Danville  road.  "  These 
plans,"  remarked  a  Richmond  paper,  "  are  now  revealed,  and 
all  the  energy  and  gallantry  of  the  army  under  Lee  and  Beau- 
regard  will  not  be  too  much  to  beat  back  this  bold  movement 
to  the  south  of  Petersburg." 

On  the  25th,  a  severe  engagement  took  place  at  Reams' 
station,  between  the  Federals,  Hancock's  and  Warren's  corps, 
and  the  Confederates  of  A.  P.  Hill's  corps,  under  Wilcox, 
Ileth,  and  Mahone.  The  result  was  unfavorable  to  the  Union 
troops,  though  they  still  held  on  to  the  railroad,  where  it  was 
first  gained,  nearer  Petersburg.  The  official  report  of  General 
Lee  stated  that  "  seven  stands  of  colors,  2,000  prisoners,  and 
nine  pieces  of  artillery  remained  in  pos&ession"  of  the  Confed 
erates.  "  One  line  of  breastworks  was  carried  by  the  cavalry 
under  General  Hampton,  with  great  gallantry,  who  contributed 
largely  to  the  success  of  the  day." 

General  Hill's  official  report,  at  a  later  date,  September  2d, 
says:  "The  correct  results  were,  twelve  stands  of  colors  cap 
tured,  and  nine  pieces  of  artillery,  ten  caissons,  2,150  prison 
ers,  3,100  stand  of  small-arms,  and  thirty-two  horses."  His 
own  loss  was,  "in  cavalry,  artillery,  and  infantry,  720  men, 
killed,  wounded,  and  missing." 

This  achievement  at  Reams'  station,  wherein  many  of  the 
North  Carolina  soldiers  were  engaged,  elicited  from  General 
Lee  a  highly  complimentary  letter  to  Governor  Vance,  con 
cerning  them.  He  says,  under  date  August  29th,  "  I  have 
been  frequently  called  upon  to  mention  the  services  of  North 
Carolina  soldiers  in  this  army,  but  their  gallantry  and  conduct 
were  never  more  deserving  of  admiration  than  in  the  engage 
ment  at  Reams'  station,  on  the  25th  instant."  He  then  men 
tions  the  various  brigades  and  divisions,  and  adds :  u  If  the 
men  who  remain  in  North  Carolina  share  the  spirit  of  those 
they  have  sent  to  the  field,  as  I  doubt  not  they  do,  her  defence 
may  be  securely  intrusted  to  their  hands." 


GKNKBA.L    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  143 

A  tribute  like  this,  and  many  similar  that  General  Lee  gave 
to  his  soldiers,  was  particularly  encouraging  to  the  men,  show 
ing  the  kindly,  just  nature  of  him  who  wrote  it,  as  well  as 
convincing  the  troops  that  they  had  a  commander  whose  eye 
was  always  upon  them,  ready  to  encourage  and  reward  their 
good  conduct. 

It  may  be  supposed  that  the  stoppage  of  communication  on 
the  Weldon  railroad,  by  Grant  holding  possession  near  Peters 
burg,  would  materially  interfere  with  Lee's  supplies,  but  this 
was  not  so.  Other  avenues  to  the  fertile  grain  districts  were 
open,  and,  meanwhile,  his  troops  were  employed,  when  not 
fighting  the  enemy,  in  building  a  branch  line  to  connect  the 
parts  of  the  track  not  destroyed. 

In  the  mean  time,  Lee's  army  "was  being  steadily  and  con 
stantly  filled  to  its  original  standard  by  men  in  the  very  prime 
and  vigor  of  youthful  manhood,"  and  the  daily  routine  showed 
a  full  determination  on  the  part  of  the  general  and  the  Con 
federate  authorities  to  remain  firm  at  their  post,  while  Grant 
was  before  the  city.  Nothing  of  importance,  however,  oc 
curred  in  regard  to  the  bombardment,  A  Confederate  raid  by 
General  Hampton,  on  a  large  number  of  cattle,  was  so  success 
ful,  and  done  with  so  much  skill,  that  it  proved  of  considera 
ble  annoyance  and  vexation  to  Grant's  army,  the  poor  soldiers 
thereby  being  subjected  to  much  inconvenience.  About  the 
same  time,  Early's  operations  in  the  Shenandoah,  where  Sheri 
dan  was  obtaining  so  much  fame,  called  upon  General  Lee  to 
reinforce  him,  which  he  did  by  sending  troops  along  the  Rich 
mond  and  Gordonsville  railroad,  now  in  full  working  order 
under  his  control. 

At  length,  on  the  29th  of  September,  General  Grant  recom 
menced  active  operations  by  another  movement  towards  Rich 
mond.  His  dispatch  of  that  date,  from  Chapin's  farm,  stated 
that  General  Ord's  corps  had  carried  the  Confederate  line  of 
intrenchments  and  fortifications  below  that  place,  and  captured 
three  hundred  prisoners,  with  fifteen  pieces  of  artillery.  At 
the  same  time,  General  Birney  moved  from  Deep  Bottom  and 
carried  the  Newmarket  road.  Simultaneous  with  these  move 
ments,  General  Meade,  on  the  Union  left,  assaulted  the  Con 
federate  right  wing  near  Poplar  Grove  church.  The  latter 
retired  to  their  earthworks,  which  were  carried,  and  one  gun 


144  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

and  sixty  prisoners  captured.  Advancing  half  a  mile  further, 
Meade  was  encountered  by  a  strong  force,  and  some  desperate 
fighting  ensued,  without  any  additional  success  to  the  Federals. 
Indeed,  the  whole  question  of  any  real  success  at  all  was 
doubtful.  It  is  true  that  at  one  time  reports  were  current  in 
the  North,  of  information,  from  reliable  sources,  having  been 
given  to  the  effect  that  Lee  had  evacuated  Richmond,  but 
these  were  soon  afterwards  changed  to  rumors  of  reverses 
again  to  the  Union  troops.  Lee,  in  an  official  report,  stated 
that  "  Hill  and  Hampton  had  driven  back  the  Federals  on  the 
right/'  while  on  the  left  they  were  effectually  checked.  On 
the  7th  of  October,  an  engagement  occurred  on  the  Darby- 
town  road,  which  the  Confederates  state  to  have  been  success 
ful  for  them.  General  Lee,  in  his  official  report,  said  that 
General  Anderson  attacked  the  enemy  on  the  Charles  City 
road  and  drove  them  from  two  lines  of  intrenchments,  cap 
turing  prisoners  and  materiel,  but  with  the  loss  of  the  brave 
General  Gregg. 

Various  movements  took  place  on  both  sides  during  the 
month  of  October,  but  at  its  close  the  position  of  Grant's 
army  was  as  follows :  North  of  the  James  the  troops  were  dis 
posed  in  a  line  from  Fort  Harrison,  near  Chapin's  Farm, 
across  the  Newmarket  and  Central  roads,  the  Eighteenth  corps 
holding  the  right,  strongly  protected  by  the  fort,  and  the  Tenth 
the  left,  flanked  by  the  cavalry  of  Kautz.  Meade's  army 
stretched  from  Petersburg  across  the  Weldon  railroad,  to  within 
four  miles  of  the  Southside  road  ;  the  Second  corps  on  his 
right,  the  Ninth  in  the  centre,  and  the  Fifth  on  the  left. 

In  the  official  report  of  General  Lee,  dated  October  28th  and 
30th,  he  says  :  "  The  attack  of  General  Heth  upon  the  enemy, 
on  the  Boydton  plank-road,  was  made  by  three  brigades,  un 
der  General  Mahone  in  front,  and  General  Hampton  in  the 
rear.  Mahone  captured  four  hundred  prisoners,  three  stands 
of  colors,  and  six  pieces  of  artillery.  The  latter  could  not  be 
brought  off,  the  enemy  having  possession  of  the  bridge.  In 
the  attack  subsequently  made  by  the  enemy,  General  Mahone 
broke  three  lines  of  battle ;  and  during  the  night  the  enemy 
retired  from  the  Boydton  plank-road,  leaving  his  wounded, 
and  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  dead  on  the  field. 

"  About  9  P.  M.,  a  small  force  assaulted  and  took  possession 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  145 

of  our  works  on  the  Baxter  road,  in  front  of  Petersburg,  but 
was  soon  driven  out.  On  the  Williamsburg  road,  yesterday, 
General  Field  captured  upwards  of  four  hundred  prisoners, 
and  seven  stands  of  colors.  The  enemy  left  a  number  of  dead 
in  front  of  our  works,  and  returned  to  his  former  position 
to-day." 

In  the  latter  part  of  October,  General  Longstreet  was  suffi 
ciently  recovered  from  his  wound,  received  at  the  Wilderness 
battle,  to  be  able  to  take  up  his  command  again,  and  General 
Anderson,  who  had  held  his  post,  now  was  appointed  to  that 
of  Beau  regard,  which  had  been  vacated  by  the  latter  going  to 
the  West. 

General  Lee,  at  this  time,  had  occasion  to  open  a  correspond 
ence  with  General  Grant,  on  the  subject  of  Butler's  order  con 
cerning  captured  soldiers  of  the  Confederate  army  being  placed 
at  labor  in  the  Dutch  Gap  canal,  then  in  process  of  construc 
tion  ;  also,  as  regarded  negro  soldiers.  The  correspondence 
is  too  long  to  insert  here  ;  but  it  is  alluded  to,  on  account  of 
some  interesting  remarks  made  by  a  correspondent  of  the 
Savannah  Republican,  on  the  chirography  of  the  two  parties. 
He  says  :  "  General  Lee's  handwriting  is  bold,  and  rather 
stiff;  his  letters  being  large,  round,  and  very  distinct.  He 
bears -heavily  upon  the  pen — probably  a  goose-quill — and 
abbreviates  many  of  his  words,  as  if  writing  were  a  labor  to 
him.  The  following  is  an.  exact  transcript  of  the  first  sentence 
in  his  letter  to  General  Grant : 

" '  General :  I  have  read  your  letter  of  the  18th  inst.,  ac- 
comp'g  copies  of  letters  from  Judge  Ould  Comm'r  of  Exchange 
of  Pris'rs  on  the  part  of  the  Conf 'ate  States  &  the  Honb'le 
E.  M.  Stanton  Sec'y  of  War  &  Lt.  Col.  Mulford  Asst.  Comm'r 
of  Exc.  of  the  U.  States.' " 

"He  does  not,  as  you  perceive,  punctuate  closely  ;  and  no 
where  in  his  letter  does  he  write  out  the  word  '  and,'  but  in 
variably  uses  the  abbreviation  '  &.'  And  yet  he  pauses  long 
enough  to  dot  all  his  '  i's,'  and  cross  all  his  4  t's,'  All  his  let 
ters  are  drawn  nearly  straight  up  and  down  the  paper ;  in 
other  words,  they  are  like  himself,  round,  full,  bold,  and  up 
right,  inclining  neither  to  the  right  nor  the  left,  arid  standing 
firmly  on  their  base,  as  if  they  disdained  all  assistance.  They 
are  so  clear  and  precise,  so  round,  and  weighty,  and  distinct, 

10 


146  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

that  each  letter  reminds  one  of  a  solid  cannon-ball,  and  each 
word  of  a  cluster  of  grape-shot. 

"  General  Grant's  handwriting,  on  the  contrary,  though  not 
so  hold  and  distinct,  nor  the  letters  so  large,  and  round,  and 
erect,  is,  nevertheless,  very  legible,  and  very  striking.  It  is 
full  of  energy  and  action,  and  his  letters  all  incline  to  the 
right,  and  follow  one  after  another,  with  a  little  space  between 
them,  as  if  they  represented  an  equal  number  of  his  brigades 
on  a  rapid  march  round  Lee's  right.  Among  ehirographers 
his  hand  would  be  called  a  running-hand.  The  words  occupy 
much  space  from  left  to  right,  and  still  they  are  very  clear  and 
legible.  He  pays  more  attention  to  punctuation  than  General 
Lee,  abbreviates  less,  and  is  equally  careful  of  his  'i's'  and 
'  t's.'  It  may  be  the  work  of  imagination,  yet  in  reading  his 
letter  I  cannot  but  picture  the  writer  as  a  restless,  nervous,  en 
ergetic  man,  full  of  fire  and  action,  always  in  motion,  and  al 
ways  in  a  hurry." 

The  month  of  November  chronicled  but  few  changes  in  the 
position  and  advantages  of  the  two  armies.  Movements,  how 
ever,  had  been  made,  which  seemed  to  augur  a  battle  on  an 
extensive  scale  ;  but  if  such  was  intended  by  Grant,  it  failed. 
Any  advances  his  army  made  were  promptly  met  by  Lee,  and 
the  result  was,  that  the  Federals  fell  back,  and  occupied  their 
old  camps  again.  We  have  not  space  to  minutely  relate,  or 
even  give  an  abstract  of  what  was  done  ;  and,  moreover,  it 
belongs  to  the  present  hour,  when  each  event  comes  daily  be 
fore  the  eye  of  every  one  who  chooses  to  read  what  the  press 
so  diligently  and  faithfully  chronicles.  With  a  few  more  par 
ticulars  relating  to  Lee  himself,  we  will  now  close  this  sketch 
of  his  recent  military  career. 

On  the  Tth  of  November,  General  Lee  issued  an  order  with 
reference  to  the  Fast  Day  set  apart,  on  the  16th,  by  President 
Davis.  All  military  duties,  except  those  imperative,  were  to 
be  suspended,  and  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  army  were 
"  earnestly  exhorted  to  unite  in  ascribing  to  our  merciful  God 
the  glory  due  to  His  name;  to  confess,  with  humble  penitence, 
the  sins  that  have  justly  provoked  His  indignation  ;  to  suppli 
cate  His  forgiveness,  and  implore  Him  in  His  own  time  to 
withdraw  His  chastening  hand,  and  give  peace  and  independ 
ence  to  a  beloved  country.  And  while  bending  before  His 


GENEKAL    ROBERT  EDMUND   LEE.  147 

throne,  let  not  fallen  comrades  be  forgotten.  Let  strength  and 
courage  be  sought  for  to  follow  the  example  of  their  heroic 
devotion,  and  commend  their  bereaved  families  to  the  tender 
care  of  the  widow's  God,  and  the  Father  of  the  fatherless." 

"We  have  before  alluded  to  the  quiet,  unaffected,  manly 
piety  of  General  Lee,  and  the  above  extract  from  his  official 
order  again  illustrates  it.  The  Richmond  papers  also  state, 
that  he  visits  St.  Paul's  Church,  in  that  city,  almost  every 
week  when  absent  from  camp ;  and  though  the  people 
"  love  him  as  our  fathers  did  George  Washington,"  yet  he 
is  never  subject  to  any  annoyance,  save  a  look  from  each 
passer  by,  which  silently  says,  "  May  God  bless  and  protect 
you  !" 

There  were  many  traits  in  General  Lee's  character  to  inspire 
the  affection  manifested  towards  him,  not  the  least  of  which  was 
his  constant  self-abnegation.  In  proof  of  this — besides  the 
great  losses  he  sustained  in  his  beloved  cause,  of  home, 
property,  friends,  and  all  that  had  formerly  been  his — we  find 
that  for  a  long  time  his  services  were  freely  given  to  the  Con 
federacy  without  any  remuneration  whatever.  Subsequently, 
however,  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Virginia  Legislature,  after 
many  just  and  complimentary  remarks,  mentioning  a  part  of 
what  he  had  done,  a  unanimous  resolution  was  adopted  to 
appropriate  to  his  use  100,000  dollars,  though,  at  the  same 
time,  it  was  said,  "  his  great  merits  could  not,  of  course,  be 
measured  by  any  amount  of  pecuniary  recompense,  for  no  sum 
of  money  which  the  State  could  offer  would  cancel  the  debt  of 
gratitude  due  to  General  Lee  by  the  Commonwealth  and  the 
whole  country." 

As,  however,  he  had  previously  declined  an  elegant  residence 
tendered  him  for  his  family  by  the  Common  Council  of  Rich 
mond,  his  friends  suggested  that  it  was  probable  he  would  not 
accept  the  kind  donation,  But  it  was  evident  that  many  and 
unpleasant  privations  had  to  be  borne  by  him.  Those  who 
have  seen  him  now  and  formerly,  and  who  belong  to  his  im 
mediate  circle,  best  know  the  truth  of  this  statement. 

Let  us  briefly  relate  a  few  interesting  anecdotes  concerning 
him.  A  foreign  gentleman,  who  had  been  in  the  South  dur 
ing  a  great  portion  of  the  war,  says : 

"  Lee  himself  is  worn  and  anxious,  but  as  cheerful  to  the 


148  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

eye  and  as  indomitable  as  ever.  I  assure  you  that  Lee  is  more 
than  ever  a  sight  for  gods  and  men.  The  same  tranquil 
modesty,  utter  absence  of  vanity,  egotism,  or  self-seeking,  and 
determination  to  spend  and  be  spent  in  discharge  of  his  duty.  It 
is  certainly  one  of  the  most  beautiful  characters  I  ever  read  of 
• — certainly  the  most,  beautiful  that  I  ever  encountered." 
A  characteristic  incident  concernino;  him  is  thus  related : 

O 

"A  gentleman  who  was  in  the  train  from  Kichmond.  to  Peters 
burg,  a  very  cold  morning,  not  long  ago,  tells  us  his  attention 
was  attracted  by  the  efforts  of  a  young  soldier,  with  his  arm  in 
a  sling,  to  get  his  overcoat  on.  His  teeth  as  well  as  his  sound 
hand  were  brought  into  use  to  effect  the  object;  but,  in  the 
midst  of  his  efforts,  an  officer  rose  from  his  seat,  advanced  to 
him,  and  very  carefully  and  tenderly  assisted  him,  drawing 
the  coat  gently  over  the  wounded  arm  and  buttoning  it  up 
comfortably,  then,  with  a  few  kind  and  pleasant  words,  return 
ing  to  his  seat. 

"  Now,  the  officer  in  question  was  not  clad  in  gorgeous  uni 
form,  with  a  brilliant  wreath  upon  the  collar  and  a  multitude 
of  gilt  lines  upon  the  sleeves,  resembling  the  famous  labyrinth 
of  Crete,  but  he  was  clad  in  'a  simple  suit  of  grey,'  dis 
tinguished  from  the  garb  of  a  civilian  only  by  the  three  stars 
which  every  Confederate  colonel  in  the  service  by  the  regula 
tions  is  entitled  to  wear.  And  yet  he  was  no  other  than  our 
chief,  General  Kobert  E.  Lee,  who  is  not  braver  and  greater 
than  he  is  good  and  modest." 

On  another  occasion,  General  Lee  was  visited  by  two  gentle 
men  from  Mobile,  who  thus  speak  of  their  interview : 

"  He  was  in  his  tent,  which  is  by  no  means  a  pretentious 
one,  when  we  went  in,  unperceived.  Seated  in  a  split- 
bottomed  chair,  he  was  engaged  in  reading  one  of  the  morn 
ing  newspapers  through  a  pair  of  spectacles.  Not  far  from 
the  great  captain's  tent,  the  inside  of  which  looked  very  clean 
and  cozy,  was  his  ambulance,  and  under  it  a  number  of 
chickens  were  pecking  about.  One  of  them,  a  cock,  is  said  to 
be  a  great  j3et  with  the  general,  who  has  had  him  from  the  be 
ginning  of  the  war,  and  carries  him  wherever  he  goes.  I  sus 
pect  the  secret  of  this  apparent  whim  is  nothing  more  than  a 
very  rational  desire  for  fresh-laid  eggs  for  breakfast,  for  the 
rooster  is  not  deprived  of  his  harem.  General  Beauregard's 


GENERAL    EGBERT    EDMUND    LEE. 

pet  is  a  fine  milch  cow,  which  shares  all  his  campaigns,  and  is 
a  most  indispensable  companion,  his  health  being  so  delicate 
that  he  can  eat  little  else  besides  milk  and  bread." 

Another  incident  connected  with  him  may  be  related.  On 
one  occasion,  a  review  of  Longstreet's  corps  took  place,  and 
the  affair  is  thus  described  : 

"  About  one  o'clock  the  arrival  of  General  Lee  was  an 
nounced  by  strains  of  music  and  a  salute  from  the  artillery. 
As  he  rode  up  to  the  colors,  and  the  men  caught  sight  of  his 
well-known  figure,  a  wild  and  prolonged  cheer,  fraught  with  a 
feeling  that  thrilled  all  hearts,  ran  along  the  line  and  rose  to 
the  heavens.  Hats  were  thrown  high,  and  many  persons  be 
came  almost  frantic  with  emotion.  General  Longstreet  shared 
fully  in  the  excitement,  and  waved  his  hat  in  the  most  excited 
manner.  It  was  then  a  fine  sight  to  see  General  Lee  ride  for 
ward,  and,  uncovering  his  nobly  modelled  and  venerable  head, 
acknowledge,  with  consummate  grace  and  dignity,  the  greet 
ing.  He  looked  stouter  and  heartier,  and  no  older,  than  when 
we  parted  with  him  last  fall.  One  heard  on  all  sides  such  ex 
pressions  as :  'What  a  splendid  figure!'  '  What  a  noble  face 
and  head !'  <  Our  destiny  is  in  his  hands !'  '  He  is  the  best  and 
greatest  man  on  this  continent !'  He  was  accompanied  by  his 
son,  Brigadier-general  William  F.  Lee,  soon,  I  hear,  to  be 
made  a  major-general.  Before  the  cheering  ceased,  an  old 
lady,  with  a  kind,  motherly  face,  passing  a  party  of  soldiers, 
bowed  to  them  repeatedly,  exclaiming,  with  an  emotion  that 
thrilled  all  who  heard  her,  'I  bow  to  you — I  bow  to  you, 
soldiers.' ': 

But,  apart  from  what  his  personal  friends,  his  companions 
in  arms,  or  impartial  strangers  may  say,  we  need  only  refer  to 
the  honest  opinions  of  those  generous-minded  men  who  are 
now  his  opponents.  The  estimation  of  Scott  and  others  has 
been  recorded,  and  the  dignified,  manly  act  of  General  Mc 
Dowell — the  act  of  a  true  soldier  and  a  man — who  had  once 
been  his  friend,  in  refraining  from  trespassing  on  Lee's  private 
property  till  military  necessity  forced  his  compliance  with 
official  orders,  cannot  be  forgotten.  True,  there  have  been 
those  who,  through  the  press,  have  allowed  party  feeling  of 
late  to  malign  Lee  and  all  his  family — even  the  dead — for 
getting  the  numerous  testimonies  of  their  worth  found  in 


150  SOUTHERN    GENEKALS. 

letters  of  "Washington,  Judge  Marshall,  and  other  eminent 
men ;  but,  when  the  fierce  tide  of  passion  and  sad  strife  is 
ended,  justice,  we  are  sure,  will  yet  award  a  truthful  panegyric 
to  his  name. 

As  aptly  illustrating  our  remarks,  the  following  able  analysis 
of  his  character,  from  the  American  Phrenological  Journal  of 
September,  1864,  deserves  to  be  brought  forward. 

"The  likeness  of  General  Lee  herewith  presented  is  said  to 
be  an  excellent  one.  The  position,  however,  is  not  the  best 
for  phrenological  and  physiognomical  purposes,  a  three-quarter 
or  a  side  view  being  better.  The  skilful  reader  of  character 
will  be  able,  however,  to  make  out  much  even  from  this. 

"  First,  it  may  be  observed  that  General  Lee  is  a  large  man 
and  well  built,  each  part  being  in  perfect  proportion  and  har 
mony  with  every  other  part  and  with  the  whole.  The  chest  is 
capacious,  the  heart,  the  stomach,  etc.,  are  amply  developed, 
and  he  is  said  to  be  the  picture  of  perfect  health  and  manly 
beauty. 

"The  temperaments  are  well  balanced,  the  vital  and  motive, 
however,  predominating,  with  not  too  much  of  the  mental; 
and  he  is  naturally  cool  and  collected,  rather  than  nervous, 
fiery,  or  fidgety.  He  thinks  before  he  speaks,  and  looks  before 
he  leaps.  His  head  is  in  harmony  with  his  body,  being  large 
— even  massive — and  both  long  and  broad.  There  is  nothing 
pinched  up,  contracted,  or  little  about  him.  He  has  been 
literally  endowed  with  all  the  natural  talents  vouchsafed  to 
man  ;  and  in  addition  to  this,  he  has  been  thoroughly  educated, 
intellectually,  religiously,  and  socially.  If  he  is  not  a  philoso 
pher  or  a  statesman,  he  is  at  least  a  first-class  scholar,  and 
would  everywhere  pass  for  a  gentleman. 

"His  intellectual  faculties,  without  an  exception,  are  promi 
nent.  Causality  and  comparison  are  especially  large,  but 
language  is  less  conspicuous. 

"  The  moral  sentiments,  as  a  class,  are  scarcely  full.  Benevo 
lence,  conscientiousness,  self-esteem,  firmness,  and  approbative- 
ness  are  among  the  largest  organs.  Combativeness,  destruc- 
tiveness,  secretiveness,  and  cautiousness  are  full.  The  organs 
comprising  the  social  group  are  also  full  or  large,  and  he  is  af 
fectionate,  loving,  and  warm-hearted.  As  a  citizen  in  civil  life 
he  was  without  reproach ;  as  a  military  man  he  stands  in  the 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  151 

front  rank.  No  one  will  dispute  his  ability  in  this  department. 
Were  he  on  the  side  of  the  Unionists  instead  of  the  Con 
federates,  the  entire  North  would  be  prond  of  him,  and  claim 
equality  for  him  with  a  Napoleon  or  a  Wellington.  We  claim 
for  him  only  what  phrenology  indicates,  and  what  he  has 
proved  himself  to  be.  Nature  made  him  a  man,  circumstances 
made  him  a  slaveholder  and  a  soldier.  He  answers  well  the 
ends  of  his  creation  and  position.  We  are  charitable  enough 
to  attribute  to  him  no  wrong  motive,  for  we  remember  that 
George  Washington  was  no  less  a  rebel  than  is  General  Lee, 
though  on  the  side  of  freedom  instead  of  slavery.  But  we  may 
affirm,  judged  from  our  stand-point,  that  both  he  and  all  his 
associates  have  a<?ted  unwisely  and  from  a  mistaken  judgment. 
May  he  see  the  error  of  his  ways,  and  correct  them." 

And  now,  before  we  conclude,  let  us  hurriedly  glance  at  the 
military  situation  as  connected  with  General  Lee  arid  his  army, 
and  the  powerful  force,  under  General  Grant,  opposed  to  him. 
Important  events  are  evidently  about  to  take  place,  and,  even 
as  we  write,  the  noise  of  renewed  battle  is  heard  in  every 
quarter  where  the  North  and  South  are  contending  for  mastery. 
Hence,  the  future  bodes  evil  to  some,  and,  we  fear,  peace  for 
none  yet  awhile.  Around  Richmond,  mighty  foes,  brave, 
hardy  veterans,  are  encircled,  and,  on  the  12th  of  December, 
1864-,  this  was  the  position  of  the  Federals  and  Confederates. 
On  the  Union  side,  Grant  had  again  commenced  active 
operations.  The  fifth  and  part  of  the  eighteenth  corps  had 
been  sent,  under  the  command  of  General  Warren,  to  repeat  the 
old  movement  against  the  enemy's  right.  Having  marched 
on  a  line  parallel  with  that  of  the  railroad  running  from  Peters 
burg  to  Weldon,  that  advance  crossed  the  Nottoway.  Bringing 
with  it  the  pontoons  on  which  it  had  effected  the  passage, 
it  had,  at  last  accounts,  taken  up  its  line  of  march  along 
the  southern  bank  of  that  stream.  The  weather,  soon  after 
its  starting,  had  become  highly  unfavorable,  and  rain  fell 
heavily,  even  while  the  troops  slept  during  the  night  of  the 
6th,  without  any  other  shelter  than  their  overcoats  and  blankets. 
The  roads  along  which  they  marched  were  found  to  have  been 
in  a  condition  so  bad  as  to  make  the  movement  of  infantry 
very  fatiguing,  and  that  of  artillery  exceedingly  difficult.  A 
cavalry  reconnoissance  had  been  thrown  out  between  Grant's 


152  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

lines  and  this  advance  of  Warren,  with  the  view,  doubtlessly, 
of  ascertaining  whether  the  Confederates  had  taken  any  steps 
for  cutting  it  off.  After  forcing  Lee's  pickets  across  Hatcher's 
Run,  the  Federal  horse  returned,  reporting,  we  presume,  that 
no  danger  threatened  Warren's  rear,  although  the  direction 
does  not  appear  in  which  the  division  moves,  that  has  been 
sent  out  to  meet  it,  from  Lee's  lines,  under  General  Mahone. 
Such,  to  the  latest  reports,  is  the  state  of  affairs  on  Grant's 
left. 

The  canal  at  Dutch  Gap  is  said  to  have  been  completed. 
The  only  movement  that  had  been  made  on  that  part  of  the 
field  is  one  against  the  Confederate  position  at  Hewlett's.  The 
battery  at  that  point  lies  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  James, 
immediately  opposite  the  upper  end  of  the  Dutch  Gap  canal. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  the  Federal  lines  come  down 
to  the  bank  at  a  point  higher  up  the  stream  than  Hewlett's. 
Under  cover  of  a  fog,  some  of  Butler's  troops  crossed  in  barges 
from  the  northern  bank,  on  the  morning  of  the  7th,  and  having 
landed  in  rear — higher  up — of  Howlett's,  had  proceeded,  at 
last  accounts,  to  connect  themselves  with  the  lines  on  the 
opposite  bank  by  a  pontoon  bridge.  That  movement  was 
executed  with  skill,  and  if  not  crushed  immediately  by  the 
Confederates,  will  result  in  the  abandonment  of  their  control 
of  the  up-stream  mouth  of  the  canal,  and  in  a  rectification 
of  their  line  on  ground  nearer  to  their  works  on  Drury's 
Bluff. 

A  day  later,  however,  General  Lee  forwards  the  following 
report : 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA,  Dec.  13. 
HON.  JAMES  A.  SEDDON,  Secretary  of  War : 

The  expedition  to  Belfield,  under  General  Warren,  returned 
within  the  enemy's  lines  yesterday.  The  two  divisions  of  the 
ninth  corps  which  went  to  Warren's  relief  proceeded  no  further 
than  Belcher's  Mill.  On  meeting  the  returning  column  it 
turned  back.  On  retiring  from  Belfield,  the  enemy  moved 
easterly  to  the  Jerusalem  and  Sussex  Court-house  roads.  Our 
troops,  therefore,  only  encountered  their  rear-guard,  and  pur 
sued  no  further  than  the  Nottoway  river.  They  have  returned 
to  camp,  bringing  in  a  few  prisoners.  Our  loss  is  very  slight. 


GENERAL    ROBERT    EDMUND    LEE.  153 

The  superintendent  of  the  railroad  reports  about  six  miles  of 

the  track  torn  up. 

R.  E.  LEE. 

One  other  subject,  and  a  very  important  one,  has,  within 
the  past  few  days,  been  introduced  in  the  Legislative  Council 
of  the  South,  and  that  is  the  arming  of  the  negroes  as  soldiers 
for  the  Confederacy.  We  need  hardly  say  that  this  is  a  serious 
question  to  be  considered  by  men  who  have  always  held  the 
negroes  as  slaves,  and  the  opinion  of  such  a  man  as  General 
Lee  was  naturally  looked  for  with  some  eagerness.  He  has 
given  it ;  and  the  following  remarks,  from  the  ISTew  York 
Herald  of  December  28th,  embody  what  he  says  : 

"  In  support  of  an  argument  for  the  arming  of  the  slaves  of 
the  Davis  '  Confederacy'  in  the  cause  of  Southern  indepen 
dence,  one  of  the  Richmond  journals  recently  asserted  that 
General  Lee  was  in  favor  of  the  scheme,  and  that,  such  being 
the  case,  the  question  ought  to  be  considered  as  finally  settled. 
This  statement,  it  now  appears,  was  no  random  assertion ;  for 
a  Richmond  correspondent  of  the  Liverpool  Courier,  in  a 
letter  to  that  journal  of  the  5th  November,  says  he  had  been 
spending  a  day  with  General  Lee,  who,  in  a  conversation  upon 
the  subject,  said :  '  I  wish  you  to  understand  my  views  on 
this  subject.  I  am  favorable  to  the  use  of  our  servants  in  the 
army.  I  think  we  can  make  better  soldiers,  of  them  than 
Lincoln  can.  He  claims  to  have  two  hundred  thousand  of 
them  in  his  service.  We  can  destroy  the  value  of  all  such 
soldiers  to  him  by  using  ours  against  them.  I  do  not  see  why 
I  should  not  have  the  use  of  such  available  material  as  well  as 
he.  I  would  hold  out  to  them  the  certainty  of  freedom  arid  a 
home  when  they  shall  have  rendered  efficient  service.  He  has 
not  given  them  a  home,  nor  can  he  give  them  officers  who  can 
understand  and  manage  them  so  well  as  we  can.' 

"This,  then,  is  General  Lee's  opinion.  The  writer  in  ques 
tion  further  says,  that  on  the  next  day  he  had  a  conversation 
with  the  rebel  Adjutant  and  Inspector-general  Cooper,  who 
agreed  with  General  Lee  in  his  views,  and  said,  '  I  would  not 
await  the  slow  action  of  legislatures  on  the  subject.  We  have 
already  used  them  (negroes)  in  the  place  of  soldiers,  as  team 
sters  and  in  engineer  service.  We  can  use  them  in  other  ways. 


154  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

There  is  no  reason  for  delay.  Let  them  be  placed  in  the  field, 
and  give  them  freedom  for  faithful  service  to  the  State.'  The 
English  reporter  of  these  important  facts  next  gives  us  the 
information  that  c  the  Confederate  government  has  inaugu 
rated  such  a  movement  by  making,  during  the  present  month 
(November),  a  draft  of  free  and  slave  negroes,  nominally  for 
the  erection  of  field-works,  etc.,  but  really  to  drill  and  prepare 
them  for  home  defence.  I  travelled  to  Richmond  in  a  train 
containing  one  or  two  carriages  (cars)  crowded  with  these 
drafted  negroes.' '; 

What  may  be  the  result  we  cannot  presume  to  say,  nor  is  it 
necessary  to 'do  so.  We  merely  give  the  publicly  recorded 
opinion  of  Lee,  and  quietly  await  the  issue  of  those  remarkable 
events  that  now  so  closely  affect  the  long- agitated  question  of 
the  future  position  of  the  colored  race. 

From  latest  accounts  we  learn  that  the  Union  cavalry,  under 
General  Torbert,  had  attacked  the  Confederates  near  Gordons- 
ville,  and  another  party  of  the  Federal  forces  had  gained  pos 
session  of  Saltville.  The  following  are  the  official  announce 
ments  of  General  Lee  on  the  subject : 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA,  Dec.  24, 18G4. 
HON.  JAMES  A.  SEDDON: 

General  Fitz  Lee  reports  that  the  force  which  attacked  Lo- 
max  yesterday  consisted  of  two  divisions  of  the  enemy's 
cavalry,  under  General  Torbert. 

General  Lomax  was  posted  across  the  Madison  turnpike,  two 
and  a  half  miles  from  Gordonsville. 

The  enemy  was  handsomely  repulsed,  and  retired  about  3 
p.  M.,  leaving  some  of  his  dead  on  the  field. 
.  He  travelled  too  rapidly  last  night  to  engage  his  rear,  hav 
ing  passed  Jack's  shop,  twelve  miles  from  Gordonsville,  one 
hour  after  dark. 

Thirty-two  prisoners  captured  at  Liberty  Mills  on  the  22d, 
being  unable  to  keep  up  on  their  retreat,  were  liberated. 

General  Lomax's  loss  was  slight. 

R.  E.  LEE. 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OP  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA,  Dec.  24,  1864. 
HON.  JAMES  A.  SEDDON,  Secretary  of  War : 

General  Breckinridge  reports  that  the  enemy,  after  having 


GENERAL   KOBEET   EDMUND    LEE.  155 

been  roughly  handled  in  the  engagements  of  Saturday  and 
Sunday,  near  Marion,  many  having  been  killed  and  wounded, 
gained  possession  of  Saltville  during  the  night  of  the  20th. 

The  garrison  retreated  up  Rich  Valley.  His  advance  arrived 
at  daylight  on  the  21st,  and  the  enemy  retired  that  night  and 
the  morning  of  the  22d  towards  Hector's  Gap. 

They  are  being  pursued.  Our  troops  are  bearing  the  fatigue 
and  exposure  with  great  cheerfulness. 

The  damage  to  the  (salt)  works  can  soon  be  repaired. 

Many  bridges  and  depots  on  the  railroad  have  been  burned. 

R.  E.  LEE. 

Since  the  above  was  in  type,  we  have  information  that  Gen 
eral  Lee,  with  the  sanction  of  President  Davis,  and  the 
Southern  Congress,  is  to  be  made  full  commander-in-chief  of 
the  army,  the  moment  it  is  found  his  valuable  services  can  be 
dispensed  with  in  his  present  important  position. 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Farmer-lad. — His  Journey  on  Foot  to  Washington. — Seek,  and  it  may  be 
Found:  Persevere,  and  it  may  be  Obtained. — Struggles  of  Early  Life. — The  Young 
Lieutenant  at  Chapultepec. — The  Bold  General  at  Manassas. — "Stonewall"  Jack 
son. — His  Parentage,  Education,  and  Peculiar  Qualities  of  Mind. — His  Military  Ca 
reer.— Appointed  Professor  in  the  Military  Institute. — An  Attempt  to  Murder  him. — 
His  First  and  Second  Marriage. — Joins  the  Service  of  his  Native  State. — In  Command 
at  Harper's  Ferry. — Engagement  with  the  Union  troops. — Made  a  Brigadier-general. 
— Jackson  in  the  Fight.— General  Bee. — Arrival  of  Kirby  Smith. — Jackson's  Farewell 
to  his  Brigade. — Ordered  to  the  Shenandoah. — Characteristics  of  General  Jackson. — 
Winter  Campaign. — Fearful  March  over  the  Mountains. — Rcmney  Occupied. — Gen 
eral  Banks  in  the  Shenandoah  valley. — Engagements  at  Kernstown. 

ONE  day,  in  the  year  1841,  a  lad,  seventeen  years  old,  might 
have  been  seen  wending  his  way,  on  foot,  towards  the  great 
city  of  Washington,  the  seat  of  government  of  the  United 
States.  There  was  nothing  particularly  striking  about  this 
lad,  except,  perchance,  a  stolidity  of  expression  upon  his  coun 
tenance,  and,  rather  than  otherwise,  a  want  of  those  marked 
features  of  vivacity  and  intelligence,  generally  so  characteris 
tic  of  the  youthful  American.  Indeed,  he  would  have  seemed 
to  be  rather  a  dull  and  ungainly  lad,  than  a  bright  one.  But, 
there  was  evidently  a  stubbornness  of  purpose  about  him,  as 
he  plodded  along  on  his  way,  that  showed  a  dogged  perti* 
nacity  in  his  will  as  to  whatsoever  he  had  set  his  mind  upon. 
Plain  in  appearance  and  indifferently  dressed,  it  was  clear  that 
his  life  had  not  been  passed  amidst  city  scenes,  or  in  polished 
society.  There  was  nothing  courtly  or  refined  about  him, 
beyond  the  simple  manners  nature  herself  teaches.  And 
whatever  he  was,  or  whatever  he  might  become,  assuredly  to 
himself  alone  did  and  would  belong  all  the  credit  due. 

We  have  said  this  lad  was  on  his  way,  a-foot,  towards  Wash 
ington  ;  and  now  we  must  add,  that,  having  an  irresistible  de 
sire  to  enter  upon  a  military  career,  he  was  bent  upon  trying 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.          157 

to  sec  if  he  could  not,  possibly,  get  an  appointment  as  a  cadet 
at  West  Point.  But,  what  had  he  to  help  him  in  procuring 
such  an  appointment?  In  those  days  it  was  not  easily  ob 
tained,  and,  especially,  it  needed  some  influential  or  prominent 
introduction.  Had  he  got  this,  then,  that  solitary  youth  plod 
ding  along  the  highway  ?  Had  he  wealthy  friends,  or  relatives 
of  political  note?  Was  he  linked  to  any  of  the  old  established 
families  of  the  land?  No,  reader!  ISTot  one  of  these  things, 
or  any  thing  else  save  perhaps  some  political  friends  to  help 
him  along,  had  he:  but  he  had  energy,  perseverance,  a  strong 
heart,  and,  even  young  as  he  was,  a  firm  belief  that  what  he 
wished  for  would  be.  In  other  words,  he  was  a  believer  in 
the  doctrine  of  predestination,  and  hence  his  desires,  he  con 
ceived,  would  be  granted,  because  his  desires  were  just  exactly 
what  might  occur,  whether  for  good  or  for  evil.  A  stern 
fatalist,  he  was  a  passive,  though  ready  worker  in  the  hands 
of  destiny. 

Still,  it  was  necessary  that  some  human  means  should  be 
found  to  aid  his  inclinations.  Were  these,  then,  to  be  found? 
Let  us  see. 

The  lad  himself  was,  as  we  have  said,  about  seventeen  years 
old,  and,  at  the  time  we  introduce  him,  had  just  left  a  farm, 
where,  first  as  a  laboring  boy,  then  as  something  of  assistant 
manager,  he  had  been  working  for  all  the  past  period  of  his 
life.  An  orphan,  dependent  in  his  childhood  upon  a  paternal 
uncle,  with  whom  he  had  ever  since  remained  honorably  earn 
ing  his  bread,  the  early  lessons  received  by  him  were  those  of 
poverty,  though  at  the  same  time  of  honest  ennobling  labor. 
Yet,  at  his  birth  there  might  have  been  hopes  far  different. 
His  father  had  been  a  lawyer  at  Clarksburg,  in  West  Virginia; 
his  grandfather,  a  surveyor  of  the  county  in  which  he  resided, 
and  represented  it  in  the  Legislature.  But  when  this  lad 
was  only  three  years  old  his  father  died,  and,  through  some 
previous  unfortunate  circumstances,  left  this  youngest  child, 
with  an  elder  brother  and  two  sisters,  completely  penniless. 
His  uncle  took  the  orphan  to  his  home,  where,  as  we  have 
seen,  he  remained  for  the  next  fifteen  years.  During  this 
time  the  boy  worked  hard  :  in  summer,  always  in  the  field — 
in  winter,  devoting  all  spare  hours  to  school,  where  he  gained 
the  rudiments  of  a  plain  education.  Conscientious  in  the  dis- 


158  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

charge  of  his  duties, — grave  and  seriously  disposed,  he  was 
noted  for  his  industry,  intelligence,  and  probity.  Indeed,  it  is 
believed  he  was,  when  only  sixteen,  elected  constable  of  the 
county,  in  consequence  of  his  'remarkable  high  qualities  of 
mind  and  conduct. 

At  length  he  determined  to  enter  upon  a  new  career.  A 
military  life  seemed  to  be  that  which  was,  to  his  nature,  most 
inviting ;  and  with  promises,  from  political  friends,  of  kindly 
aid  to  pave  the  way  in  his  first  movement — John  Tyler,  of 
Virginia,  at  that  time  being  president — this  lad  started  on 
foot,  to  try  if  his  object  could  be  accomplished.  Did  he  suc 
ceed,  that  sturdy  fanner  lad  ?  We  shall  see. 

%  -X-  #  vf 

There  is,  in  Mexico,  and  close  to  the  great  city  itself,  a  very 
strongly  fortified  place  called  Chapultepec.  It  is  a  natural 
and  isolated  mound  of  great  elevation,  and,  at  the  time  we  are 
about  to  refer,  contained  the  military  college  of  the  republic, 
with  a  large  number  of  sub-lieutenants  and  other  students. 
The  works  about  this  place  were  of  great  magnitude;  and,  in 
fact,  it  was  the  key  on  the  west  side  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  and 
to  get  possession  of  the  latter,  it  was  necessary  to  capture  the 
former.  Now,  in  the  month  of  September,  1847,  a  gallant 
army  of  Americans,  under  the  leadership  of  General  Scott, 
was  engaged  in  vigorously  assaulting  this  place,  prior  to  the 
great  victory  they  soon  obtained,  both  there  and  in  the  capi 
tal  of  the  Montezumas  itself.  Among  the  bold  assailants, 
there  was  one  officer  holding  a  lieutenant's  commission  in  a 
field-battery.  This  officer  was  in  charge  of  one  section  of  artil 
lery  in  the  advance.  He  was  cool,  self-possessed,  and  seem 
ingly  in  utter  indifference  to  the  storm  of  shot  and  shell  which 
came  pouring  down  from  the  besieged.  There,  with  unflinch 
ing  nerve,  he  stood  his  ground,  only  moving  forward,  when 
he  moved  at  all.  At  length,  an  order  to  charge  was  given  by 
the  general  in  command.  The  lieutenant  promptly  prepared 
to  obey,  but  his  men,  appalled  by  the  terrible  fire  poured  upon 
them,  hesitated,  and  remained  under  cover.  Seeing  this,  with 
out  a  moment's  hesitation,  the  young  officer  stepped  into  the 
exposed  road,  and  said,  "See,  my  men:  there  is  no  danger. 
Follow  me!" 

Chapultepec  was  taken ;  and  among  the  many  heroic  inci- 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.          159 

dents  of  that  day,  September  13th,  this  one  of  the  bold  lieu 
tenant  has  been  recorded. 

*  *  #•  % 

Fourteen  years  after  the  preceding  occurrence,  there  is  an 
other  battlefield  we  must  cast  our  eye  upon,  but,  this  time,  it 
is  at  our  own  doors.  Friend  to  friend,  brother  with  brother — 
sons  born  of  the  same,  flag — contend  for  mastery,  and  fierce, 
most  deadly  fierce,  is  the  strife !  Already  has  the  carnage  been 
dreadful !  Heaps  of  slain  cover  the  ground,  and  the  whiz  of 
shell  and  shot  seems  as  if  complete  annihilation  to  every  man 
and  beast  upon  that  blood-stained  field  must  ensue.  Yet, 
cool,  calm,  stern,  and  self-collected,  one  man  sits  upon  a 
charger  as  though  he  were  a  mere  spectator  at  a  review !  On 
a  rising  ground,  which  commands  a  full  view  of  the  battle,  at 
that  time  fearfully  grand,  his  keen  glittering  eye  takes  in  the 
whole  scene,  as  he  remains  there  apparently  insensible  to  all. 
For  a  moment  or  two,  let  us  take  a  closer  glance  at  this 
strange  man,  so  seemingly  immobile  amidst  such  terrible 
strife ;  let  us  approach  him  and  examine  his  appearance. 
See!  He  is  evidently  a  powerful  man,  and,  when  erect  on 
foot,  must  be  some  five  feet  ten  inches  high,  rather  thick-set, 
with  a  full  chest,  broad  stalwart  shoulders,  but  somewhat 
clumsy  looking.  His  face  is  slightly  bronzed,  but  showing 
the  picture  of  health,  and  denoting  a  mixture  of  several  quali 
ties  that  might  puzzle  one  to  say  which  was  most  predominant, 
liaising  his  hat,  the  broad  forehead  indicates  clearness  of  in 
tellect,  courage,  self-command,  perseverance,  and  indomitable 
will.  His  eyes  express  a  singular  union  of  mildness,  energy, 
and  concentration ;  his  cheek  and  nose  are  both  long  and  well 
formed.  In  his  dress,  simplicity  is  characteristic, — a  common 
suit  of  gray,  faded  cassimere,  but  just  sufficiently  braided  to 
show  his  rank  is  that  of  a  general.  On  his  horse,  he  has  a 
most  unmilitary  appearance.  The  stirrups  are  short — his 
knees  are  cramped  up,  with  his  heels  stuck  out  behind,  and 
his  chin,  now  and  again,  falls  drooping  on  his  breast.  But  his 
eye,  that  piercing,  eagle  eye,  when  looking  on  the  field,  even 
at  the  very  time  he  so  droops  his  head,  tells  of  the  man,  and 
at  once  proclaims  him  a  true  hero.  And  now  mark  his  every 
motion.  See  !  The  troops  on  his  own  side  are  evidently  over 
powered  !  Appalled  at  the  fierceness  of  an  heroic  attack  made 


ICO  SOUTHEEN   GENEEALS. 

upon  the  hill  on  which  they  are  stationed,  they  gradually  fall 
back,  and  seem  as  if  about  to  fly.  Yet,  still  he  sits,  calm, 
immovable,  and  like  a  statue.  His  orders  had  been  given  ; 
he  waits  for  one  decisive  moment  to  effect  another  move 
ment  ;  and  his  presence  thus  to  the  brave  soldiers  who  know 
him  well,  acts  as  a  charm  to  stay  their  flight.  Who  then  is 
he,  that  thus  so  strangely  appears  amidst  such  a  wild  and  ter 
rible  scene?  Listen,  and  observe. 

An  officer  of  rank,  dashing  furiously  up,  amid  the  fiercest 
of  the  fight,  approaches  him.  "General,"  said  he,  "  they  are 
beating  us  back  !  We're  obliged  to  give  ground  !"  For  a 
second  or  so,  the  general  looks  at  the  officer,  but  his  stern, 
silent  face  betrays  no  answering  emotion.  The  keen  eye  glit 
ters  for  a  moment ;  then  a  speaking  animation  spreads  across 
his  features  :  his  lips  open  ;  and  in  curt,  peculiar  tones,  he  re 
plies,  "  Aye,  sir  ?  Well,  then,  we  must  give  them  the  bay 
onet!"  The  gallant  officer— himself  meeting  his  death  im 
mediately  afterwards — gathers  new  inspiration  from  his  words. 
He  gallops  back  to  the  remnant  of  his  command,  and,  pointing 
to  the  statue-like  general,  says  to  his  men,  "  Look !  there  is 
JACKSON,  standing  like  a  stone  wall.  Come  !  Let  us  conquer 
or  die  !  Follow  me  !" 

Yes  !  that  strange,  apparently  immobile  general,  was  the 
now  well-known  heroic  Thomas  J.  Jackson,  thenceforth  called 
by  the  term  here  applied  to  him,  "  Stonewall "  Jackson, *- 
the  same  calm,  sturdy,  energetic  being  who,  as  a  lad,  walked 
his  way,  twenty  years  before,  to  Washington  for  the  appoint 
ment  he  obtained  as  a  cadet  to  West  Point,  and  who,  as  the 
young  lieutenant  at  Chapultepec,  encouraged  his  men  onward 
by  personally  showing  them  the  road,  heedless  of  the  clanger ! 


*  The  above  is  the  currently  received  idea  of  Jackson's  receiving  the  name 
of  Stonewall  affixed  to  his  own.  But  it  has  been  asserted,  with  some  good  evi. 
dence,  that  the  soubriquet  of  "  Stonewall "  originally  came  from  his  brigade, 
which  was  so  called  because  principally  recruited  in  a  stone-wall  country — the 
valley  counties  of  Jefferson,  Frederick,  Page,  and  Warren.  The  brigade  bore 
this  name  before  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  thus  lent  its  name  to  its  stout 
leader — not  derived  it  from  him — and  Jackson,  even  in  his  last  hours,  was  par 
ticular  in  explaining  to  those  around  him,  that  the  title  belonged  to  his  men, 
and  not  to  him. 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.          161 

We  will  now  proceed  to  fill  up  the  blanks  in  the  above 
rapid  sketches  of  the  man,  and  then  go  more  into  detail  with 
his  after  history. 

The  immediate  ancestors  of  General  "  Stonewall"  Jackson 
were  settled  in  Western  Virginia, — his  grandfather  being  Ed 
ward  Jackson,  for  a  long  time  surveyor  of  Lewis  county,  and 
a  member  of  the  Legislature, — his  father,  Jonathan  Jackson, 
a  lawyer  of  some  considerable  reputation  at  Clarksburg.  The 
mother  of  our  hero  was  the  daughter  of  a  Mr.  Thomas  Neal, 
of  Wood  county,  who  bore  to  her  husband  four  children,  two 
sons  and  two  daughters.  The  youngest  of  these  children  was 

£5  •/  O 

Thomas,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  born  January  21st, 
1824.  When  he  was  three  years  old,  his  father  died  in  em 
barrassed  circumstances,  and,  as  we  have  already  mentioned, 
the  lad  was  left  to  the  care  of  his  paternal  uncle,  until,  by  his 
own  perseverance,  he  contrived  to  get  an  appointment  as 
cadet  at  West  Point.  It  appears,  from  various  statements, 
that  the  lad  was  at  first  strongly  dissuaded,  by  his  friends  and 
relatives,  from  venturing  on  such  a  step  ;  but,  he  was  not  to 
be  turned  from  his  purpose.  A  member  of  Congress  from  his 
section  of  Virginia  had  a  presentation  to  West  Point,  and 
young  Jackson  determined  to  ask  for  it.  He  obtained  an  in 
troduction,  and,  with  a  slender  wardrobe  in  his  hand,  jour 
neyed,  partly  by  stage  and  on  foot,  to  Washington,  and  that, 
too,  during  the  muddy  season.  Llis  perseverance  met  a  re 
ward.  Introduced  to  the  secretary  of  war,  that  eminent  of 
ficial  complimented  him  for  his  energy,  and  gave  the  appoint 
ment.  But  Jackson  had  other  difficulties  in  himself  to  over 
come.  His  education  had  been  very  poor,  and  he  was  thus 
inferior  to  all  his  classmates  in  every  intellectual  attainment. 
Still  he  persevered  ;  and  those  who  remember  him  there,  speak 
of  him  as  an  earnest  worker,  plodding  onward  in  his  tasks  with 
unwearied  assiduity.  He  was,  however,  looked  upon  as  dull 
and  slow,  taking  three  times  as  long  to  learn  any  thing  as  did 
his  companions.  Nevertheless,  what  he  did  learn  was  learned 
well,  and  his  tutors  felt  much  pleased  with  him.  He  was  of  a 
retiring  and  taciturn  disposition,  but  when  brought  out  in  con 
versation  on  subjects  of  interest,  his  face  would  light  up  with 
a  pleasant  smile,  and  his  whole  countenance  beam  with  intel 
ligence. 

11 


10)2  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

After  the  usual  four  years'  residence,  lie  graduated  number 
seventeen  in  his  class  ;  and  in  July,  1816,  was  brevetted  second- 
lieutenant,  with  orders  to  report  for  duty  in  Mexico,  under 
General  Taylor.  When  General  Scott  took  command,  Jackson 
served  under  him  during  the  several  battles  made  so  famous 
to  the  American  arms  by  the  skill  of  that  great  military  chief 
tain.  His  conduct,  as  we  have  already  seen,  was  marked  by 
daring  and  firmness,  and  his  promotion,  consequently,  was 
rapid.  In  August,  18-17,  he  was  made  a  first-lieutenant,  in 
Magruder's  battery  ;  in  August,  181^,  he  was  brevetted  cap 
tain,  for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  in  the  battles  of 
Contreras  and  Cherubusco  ;  and  in  March,  1849,  brevetted  ma 
jor,  for  like  good  conduct  at  Chapultepec.  In  1852,  finding  his 
health  such  as  wrould  interfere  with  the  conscientious  discharge 
of  his  duties,  and  peace  having  been  restored,  he  resigned  his 
commission  and  returned  to  Virginia.  Just  prior  to  this  time, 
"there  was  a  vacancy  in  one  of  the  professorships  at  the  Vir 
ginia  Military  Institute,  and  General  Smith,  the  superintend 
ent,  WT as  instructed  by  the  Board  of  Visitors  to  seek,  by  private 
inquiries,  some  one  suitable  for  the  position.  Among  those  to 
whom  he  first  applied  was  General  D.  II.  Hill,  then  a  profes 
sor  in  Washington  College.  II ill  warmly  recommended  T.  J. 
Jackson,  then  serving  with  the  army  in  Florida.  Hill  had,  at 
that  time,  no  family  connection  with  Jackson  ;  but  he  knew 
hhn  well,  and  with  a  penetration  and  sagacity  that  did  him 
much  credit,  declared  that  he  was  not  only  a  competent,  faith 
ful,  reliable  man,  but  had  a  great  deal  of  '  outcome'  in  him. 
Repairing  subsequently  to  West  Point,  General  Smith  ad 
dressed  his  inquiries  to  the  faculty  there.  They  recommended 
as  eligible  for  the  position,  McClellan,  Rosecrans,  Foster,  Peck, 
and  G.  W.  Smith.  Upon  General  Smith's  stating  that  Jack 
son  had  been  recommended,  they  said  of  him  that  he  was  an 
indefatigable  man,  and  would  do  well,  but  had  come  to  the 
academy  badly  prepared.  Inquiries  elsewhere  developed  the 
fact,  that  the  persons  recommended  at  West  Point  were  con 
sidered  better  book-wen  than  Jackson,  but  all  bore  testimony 
to  his  great  personal  w^orth  and  energy,  and  his  sterling 
qualities. 

"  When  the  Board  of  Visitors  met,  General  Smith  reported  the 
name  of  Jackson,  together  with  a  statement  of  the  recommeuda- 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.          163 

tions  and  encomiums  already  referred  to.  It  happened  that  there 
was  on  the  Board  a  member  who  appeared  there  on  that  occasion 
for  the  first  time  and  the  last.  He  at  once  advocated  Jackson's 
appointment,  though  evidently  taken  by  surprise  at  the  sugges 
tion  of  his  name.  He  spoke  in  very  high  terms  of  Jackson, 
whose  townsman  he  said  he  was,  and  told  of  the  great  pleasure 
which  his  appointment  would  give  to  the  people  of  Northwest 
Virginia.  This  member,  who  thus  eulogized  Jackson,  was  J. 
S.  Carlile.  He  was  the  only  one  of  the  Board  who  knew 
Jackson,  and  he  warmly  advocated  him  before  that  jury  of 
strangers.  Influenced  by  what  they  had  thus  heard,  the 
Board,  without  the  usual'delays,  at  once  ordered  the  appoint 
ment  to  be  tendered  to  Jackson,  and  as  his  health  was  feeble, 
he  resigned  his  commission  and  accepted  it." 

The  post  he  now  undertook  to  fill  was  Professor  of  Chemis 
try  and  Natural  Science,  and  the  mere  fact  of  his  having  been, 
chosen  for  such  a  position  from  among  other  eminent  names 
put  forward,  is  strong  evidence  of  the  extraordinary  abilities 
he  possessed,  and  the  innate  genius  of  his  mind.  The  farmer 
lad,  of  so  poor  an  education  that  ten  years  before  he  was 
hardly  qualified  to  enter  West  Point,  was  now  selected  by  ex 
perienced  judges  to  sit  in  a  professor's  chair,  and  instruct 
youthful  members  of  the  Military  Institute  in  two  of  the 
sciences  requiring  great  mental  acquirements  to  fully  compre 
hend.  But  he  was  not  found  defective  in  the  task  he  had  un 
dertaken.  Zealous  and  persevering  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties,  he  soon  became  marked  as  one  of  the  most  competent 
that  could  have  been  found  for  the  position.  His  peculiar 
character,  however,  did  not  make  him  a  favorite  with  his  pu 
pils,  and  perhaps  we  may  ourselves  slightly  err  in  saying  that 
he  was  too  much  of  a  martinet,  with  too  little  of  that  valuable 
experience  in  life  which  enables  a  wise  teacher  to  sow  good 
and  lasting  seed,  by  winning  his  way  into  the  hearts  of  more 
youthful  blood  than  his  own.  Jackson  will  be  ever  deservedly 
admired  for  his  high  qualities  as  a  Christian  soldier,  arid  a 
moral,  upright  man.  But  the  natural  bent  of  his  mind  was 
such  as  could  not  exactly  see  where  to  draw  the  line  between 
actual  excesses  and  those  irregularities  of  youth  which  most 
men  are  liable  to  in  their  early  days,  though  it  appears,  in  his 
case,  he  had  been  exempt  from.  Certain  it  is,  however,  he 


161  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

was  not  popular  with  the  students  ;  and,  it  is  said  that  one 
instance  occurred  where  his  life  was  in  danger  from  a  youth  he 
had  expelled  owing  to  misconduct.  It  seems  that  this  youth, 
in  the  heat  of  passion,  determined  to  have  revenge,  and  way 
laid  the  Professor  on  his  return  home  from  college.  A  friend 
apprized  Jackson  of  the  possihle  danger,  as  he  was  walking 
towards  the  place  where  the  mad  boy  was  concealed  ;  hut  Jack 
son  exclaimed  aloud,  "  Let  him  shoot  me,  if  he  will !"  and 
walked  on.  The  intended  murderer  was  near,  and  heard  the 
remark.  It  took  effect.  Reflection  instantly  came,  and  he 
slunk  away,  saved  from  the  commission  of  a  great  crime,  and 
thus  allowing  Jackson  to  fulfil  the  destiny  he  ever  seemed  to 
think  was  allotted  him. 

That  there  was  something  more  than  ordinarily  peculiar 
about  Jackson's  mind,  must  be  inferred  from  the  many  circum 
stances  currently  reported  of  him.  One  statement  goes  to  as 
sert,  that  "  he  was  afflicted  with  different  forms  of  hypochon 
dria,  and  had  a  mania  for  believing  that  every  thing  he  ate 
went  down  and  lodged  in  his  left  leg.  At  another  time  he 
would  never  eat  except  by  the  watch,  at  the  precise  moment ; 
and  he  would  take  out  his  watch,  lay  it  on  the  table,  and  eat 
at  that  moment.  If  the  meal  was  behind-hand,  he  would  not 
eat  at  all." 

Many  other  singularities  are  reported  of  him,  some  few  may 
be  yet  mentioned  in  their  place ;  but,  whatever  may  have  been 
those  peculiarities,  it  is  certain  that,  even  in  other  things,  he 
was  very  different  from  most  men.  Perhaps  his  early  strug 
gles  in  life,  and  the  hard  lessons  of  poverty,  may  have  some 
what  soured  his  temper,  and  inclined  him  to  asceticism,  though 
to  a  really  healthful  mind  the  tendency  is  the  reverse.  The 
experiences  of  a  painful  past  should  make  us  more  forbearing 
and  indulgent  to  others  in  the  present ;  but  all  men  cannot  be 
thus,  especially  when  holding  fast  to  the  tenets  of  religion  in 
one  of  the  strictest  sects  of  the  Christian  faith.  And  such  was 
his  case.  A  conscientious  and  devout  member  of  the  Presby 
terian  church,  of  which  he  was  an  elder,  we  can  understand 
how  it  was  that  no  allowance  could  be  made,  in  his  position, 
even  had  his  inclination  ever  tended  that  way,  for  the  errors 
and  infirmities  of  those  placed  under  his  tuition.  "  Indepen 
dent  of  his  work  in  the  professorship,  he  was  indefatigable 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.  165 

in  the  duties  of  his  creed.  He  taught  in  the  Sunday-school, 
he  visited  the  sick,  and  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  the  negroes.  Every  Sunday  he  expounded  the 
Scriptures  to  a  class  of  negro  children,  and,  though  in  all 
things  else  modest  and  retiring,  his  voice  was  heard,  and  his 
influence  exerted  to  the  utmost,  in  all  questions  that  related  to 
the  moral  arid  spiritual  welfare  of  the  colored  race. 

Soon  after  entering  upon  his  professorship,  he  married  Miss 
Junkin.  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  George  Junkin,  principal 
of  the  Washington  College.  This  lady  died  in  the  year  1855, 
and  her  children  also  lived  only  a  short  time.  Jackson,  then, 
on  leave  of  absence,  visited  Europe,  and  upon  his  return, 
resumed  his  duties  both  at  the  Institute  and  in  the  church. 
He  was  now  married  again,  to  Miss  Morrison,  daughter  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Morrison,  late  President  of  Davidson  College,  N.  C., 
and  sister  of  the  wife  of  the  present  Confederate  general,  D. 
H.  Hill,  already  mentioned  as  favoring  his  appointment  at  the 
Institute.  From  this  period  until  the  year  1861,  Jackson  con 
tinued  in  the  quiet  methodical  duties  of  his  position.  He 
was  not  known,  at  any  time,  to  mix  in  the  political  questions 
of  the  day,  though  he  must  have  watched,  with  keen  anxiety, 
the  violent  agitation  which  resulted  in  the  disruption  of  the 
Union.  Hidden  from  the  great  world  without,  it  is  probable 
that  the  name  of  "  Stonewall"  Jackson  would  never  have  been 
heard  in  history,  certainly  not  with  such  fame  as  now,  had  not 
the  gigantic  strife  of  civil  discord  burst  forth  in  his  native 
land.  But,  like  many  of  the  stern  enthusiasts  of  times  before 
him,  he  suddenly  appeared  like  a  blazing  meteor,  and  by  the 
swiftness  and  striking  energy  of  his  movements,  made  for 
himself  a  niche  in  the  temple  of  fame,  which  will  stand  to  all 
posterity  with  those  of  Cromwell,  Cameron,  and  others. 

The  history  of  the  secession  of  Virginia  is  well  known. 
Hesitating  and  doubtful  for  a  time,  that  State  at  length  passed 
an  ordinance  of  disunion  on  the  17th  of  April,  1861,  and  im 
mediately  it  was  determined  to  drive  the  Federal  forces  away, 
if  possible,  beyond  the  border-lines.  Harper's  Ferry  and  the 
Arsenal  there  was  then  garrisoned  by  a  detachment  of  United 
States  dragoons,  under  Lieutenant  Jones,  who,  on  the  18th  of 
April,  evacuated  the  place,  in  consequence  of  a  large  force  of 
Virginians  coming  to  take  possession  of  it.  But,  it  was  neces- 


166  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

sary  for  Virginia  to  keep  an  "  army  of  observation"  there,  and 
Governor  Letcher  immediately  issued  a  commission  to  Jackson, 
appointing  him  a  colonel  in  the  State  troops,  with  command 
in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  the  headquarters  being  at  Harper's 
Ferry.  It  is,  however,  stated  that  previous  to  this,  Jackson 
was  commandant  of  the  camp  of  instruction  at  the  Fair 
Grounds,  Richmond ;  but  even  if  so,  it  is  certain  that  his  was 
the  first  regular  military  commission  issued  by  his  native 
State,  and  that  on  the  3d  of  May  he  took  command  at  Harper's 
Ferry. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  the  military  forces  of  Virginia  having 
been  more  fully  organized,  General  J.  E.  Johnston  took  com 
mand  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  assigned  Jackson  to  the  infantry 
then  concentrating  in  the  Valley.  Stuart  was  appointed  to 
command  the  cavalry,  and  Pendleton  had  charge  of  the  artil 
lery,  and  it  was  thus  conceived  that  under  such  leaders  the 
new  Confederate  troops  would  be  successful  against  any 
Federal  attacks,  especially  as  Jackson  had  already  placed  the 
soldiers  under  excellent  drill,  and  moulded  them  "into  that 
impenetrable  phalanx  which  stood  stern  and  unbroken  after 
wards,  amid  scenes  of  the  most  frightful  carnage."  But,  early 
in  June,  General  Patterson  advanced  with  a  large  Union  force, 
and  necessitated  the  evacuation  of  Harper's  Ferry  by  Johnston. 
The  Confederates  retired  to  Winchester,  but  had  scarcely 
arrived  there  when  information  was  obtained  that  the  Federals 
were  still  advancing,  arid  therefore  Jackson,  with  his  brigade, 
was  sent  to  the  neighborhood  of  Martinsburg  to  aid  Stuart's 
cavalry  in  destroying  what  they  could  of  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  railroad  stock,  a'nd  thus  check  the  enemy's  movements. 
Patterson,  however,  still  came  on,  though  not  by  the  way  of 
Harper's  Ferry,  which  remained  unoccupied,  but  intending  to 
cross  the  Potomac  near  William  sport,  twenty-five  miles  higher 
up.  There,  on  the  2d  of  July,  Jackson,  with  his  force  of  some 
3,500  troops,  all  Virginians,  prepared  to  resist  the  Union 
attempt.  The  ford  across  the  Potomac  at  Williamsport  is 
narrow,  and  the  river  so  shallow  at  times,  that  a  man  may 
wade  it  without  being  wet  above  the  waist.  There,  however, 
in  the  early  morning  of  Tuesday,  the  2d  of  July,  the  advanced 
Federal  forces  crossed,  and,  after  some  movements  on  both 
sides,  Jackson  fell  back  to  Falling  Waters,  on  the  main  road 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.  167 

to  Martinsburg,  a  running  fire  being  kept  up.  A  detachment 
of  Union  troops  was  then  sent  forward  to  reconnoitre,  and  at 
9  A.  M.  Jackson  was  encountered  on  the  Porterfield  farm, 
where  he  had  formed  his  men  in  line  of  battle  behind  the 
house,  and  with  a  park  of  artillery  (four  guns)  directly  upon 
the  turnpike  along  which  the  enemy  was  advancing.  The 
battle  now  commenced,  and  for  half  an  hour  Jackson  succeeded 
in  maintaining  his  ground ;  but,  the  remainder  of  Patterson's 
army  coming  up,  he  was  compelled  slowly  to  fall  back.  This 
he  did  for  a  mile  or  two  further,  and  then  made  a  second 
stand,  renewing  the  fight  with  great  obstinacy.  The  odds, 
however,  were  too  much  against  him,  and  finally  he  "retired, 
when  about  to  be  outflanked,  scarcely  losing  a  man,  but 
bringing  off  forty-five  prisoners."  Jackson  then  rejoined  the 
main  army,  under  Johnston,  at  Winchester. 

This  engagement — it  can  hardly  be  called  a  battle — was  the 
first  that  took  place  between  the  two  armies,  and  from  several 
circumstances  related  concerning  it,  wherein  parties  of  both 
sides  are  said  to  have  met  each  other  without  knowledge  of 
either  being  foes,  it  would  seem  that  regular  organized  warfare 
had  hardly  yet  commenced.  The  commanding  officers  were 
schooled  in  military  art,  but  the  men  were  still  raw  and  un 
used  to  a  battlefield. 

Shortly  after  this  affair,  Jackson  was  made  a  brigadier-gen 
eral  ;  and  he  then  continued  to  march  and  countermarch  in 
front  of  Patterson,  thoroughly  checking  his  onward  move 
ments,  for  a  fortnight  more.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  July 
18th,  a  dispatch  reached  General  Johnston,  at  Winchester,  that 
the  great  Northern  army  was  advancing  on  Manassas,  where 
the  bulk  of  the  Confederate  forces  under  Beauregard  were 
then  concentrated,  and  that  he  was  to  go  thither  as  speedily 
as  possible.  In  two  days  from  that  date,  Johnston  had  arrived 
with  his  army  at  Manassas,  and  General  Jackson  was  posted, 
with  his  brigade,  in  the  rear  of  Longstreet's  forces,  near  Black 
burn's  ford,  where  an  engagement  with  a  portion  of  the  Union 
troops  had  already  taken  place,  viz.,  on  the  18th  of  July. 

Next  morning,  Sunday,  July  21st,  began  that  great  battle, 
which,  first  in  this  memorable  strife,  was  also  remarkable  for  the 
great  panic  that  occurred  on  the  Union  side,  and  the  complete 
ness  of  a  hard-earned  and  nearly  lost  victory  to  the  Confed- 


168  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

crates.  But,  in  this  hasty  sketch  of  the  life  of  one  of  the  many 
eminent  commanders  on  both  sides,  engaged  on  that  day,  it  is 
impossible  to  do  more  than  give  a  hurried  outline  of  the  entire 
battle.  As  is  well  known,  the  Union  army  was  under  General 
McDowell,  and  the  Confederates  under  Beauregard  and  John 
ston, — the  latter,  though  senior,  allowing  the  former  to  con 
duct  the  engagement  in  accordance  with  his  previous  plans. 
The  several  corps  and  division  commanders  on  either  side 
were  men  of  skill  and  ability,  but  the  soldiers,  though  brave 
even  to  rashness,  were  all,  or  nearly  all,  inexperienced,  and 
not  yet  fully  disciplined.  The  fight,  therefore,  was  bloody 
and  severe.  A  portion  of  the  Union  forces  crossed  Bull  Run 
stream,  about  10  A.  M.,  at  a  place  called  Sudley's  ford,  eight 
miles  higher  up  than  where  Jackson's  brigade  was  posted,  and 
the  remainder  were  stationed  at  the  Stone  bridge,  also  six 
miles  above  Jackson's  position.  Later  in  the  day,  however,  a 
part  of  this  remaining  Union  force  crossed  the,  stream,  and 
engaged,  hand  to  hand,  in  the  conflict,  while  the  rest  still 
defended  the  bridge. 

The  Confederate  line  of  battle  was  from  below  Jackson's 
position  on  the  right,  to  the  Stone  bridge,  and  then  diverging 
along  the  Warrenton  turnpike  to  near  Groveton,  on  the  left, 
where  the  Union  right  had  corne  forward,  hoping  to  outflank 
their  foe.  Within  this  line  was  an  irregular  plateau,  the 
slopes  of  which  reached  down  upon  and  slightly  across  the 
turnpike  road.  On  the  Confederate  left  of  this  plateau  was  a 
farm-house,  belonging  to  a  widow  lady  named  Henry,  who, 
during  the  engagement,  being  bedridden,  was  once  or  twice 
carried  out  by  her  family,  but  ultimately  met  her  death  while 
lying  there  during  a  part  of  the  fiercest  of  the  strife.  This 
house  was  in  a  prominent  position,  and  consequently  became 
the  scene  of  several  severe  attacks  for  its  capture  and  recap 
ture  on  both  sides. 

On  the  morning  of  July  21st,  Jackson  was  moved  from  his 
position  in  the  rear  of  Longstreet,  more  to  the  left,  so  as  to 
support  either  Bonham,  in  front  of  him,  at  the  Bull  Run 
stream,  below  the  Stone  bridge,  or  Cocke,  who  was  on  the  left. 
Here  he  remained  during  the  greater  part  of  the  morning,  until, 
finding  that  a  portion  of  the  troops  already  hotly  engaged  on 
his  left  were  exhausted  and  in  disorder,  he  moved  to  reinforce 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.         169 

them.  Marching  along  the  back  of  the  plateau,  he  suddenly 
came  out  upon  its  eastern  crest,  a  little  below  the  Henry 
House,  and  there  with  his  artillery  opened  fire  to  great 
effect.  The  Union  forces,  in  spite  of 'the  most  heroic  charges, 
and  a  tremendous  fire  aiding  them  from  Griffin's  and  Rickett's 
batteries,  were  completely  held  in  check,  until  Johnston  him 
self,  with  Beauregard,  came  up  and  reformed  the  shattered 
columns,  compelling  the  Federals  for  a. time  to  retire.  Jack 
son  was  now  in  the  centre  with  four  regiments  and  thirteen 
pieces  of  artillery;  and  the  most  strenuous  efforts  were  made 
by  him,  and  the  other  heroic  commanders  on  his  right  and 
left,  to  keep  the  advantage  so  far  gained.  But,  the  enemy 
was  again  dashing  on  with  irresistible  power.  Up  the  sides 
of  the  plateau, — from  the  turnpike  road,  and  from  their  right, — 
forward  they  came  with  a  determination  and  bravery  that 
justice  must  admit,  and  the  truth  of  history  cannot  deny. 
Heavily  reinforced,  they  gained  the  summit,  and  all  around 
the  Henry  House,  with  other  portions  of  the  ground,  was  in 
their  possession.  Then  General  Beauregard  gave  orders  for 
the  entire  right  of  his  line,  except  the  reserves,  to  advance. 
With  a  wild  yell,  peculiar  to  the  Southern  troops,  they  did  so, 
Jackson's  brigade  piercing  the  enemy's  centre,  and  recovering 
what  had  been  lost,  though  at  a  fearful  sacrifice  of  life.  But, 
the  triumph  was  shortlived.  Again  did  the  Federals  rush 
forward,  and  this  time  so  overpoweringly,  that  the  Confed 
erates  once  mare  gave  way.  Kow  appeared  Jackson,  no  more 
as  the  calm,  reserved  college  professor,  but  as  a  thorough  im 
personation  of  the  military  chief.  Everywhere  in  the  thickest 
of  the  fight,  with  the  voice  and  the  look  of  a  warrior  upon 
him,  he  cheered  and  encouraged  his  men  amid  the  deadliest 
slaughter.  He  seemed  to  have  a  charmed  life,  so  futile  to 
touch  him  were  the  efforts  of  the  enemy's  fire.  But,  hope  was 
nearly  gone.  The  fortunes  of  the  day  were  evidently  waning 
for  the  Confederate  cause,  and  about  4  p.  M.,  when  a  lull  in 
the  battle  occurred,  he  paused  awhile,  on  his  horse,  to  consider 
anew  what  could  be  done.  It  was  while  thus  reflecting,  Gen 
eral  Bee  rode  up,  and,  as  we  have  already  mentioned,  spoke, 
in  the  bitterness  of  his  heart,  of  the  lowering  aspects  of  the 
day.  Then  came  that  reply  before  recorded  ;  and  when  again 
the  troops  once  more  rallied  to  the  bugle  blast,  Jack- 


170  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

son  was  among  them,  foremost  in  the  fray.  Just  then  General 
Ki'rby  Smith's  reinforcement  arrived,  and  the  sight  of  their 
comrades  so  inspirited  the  Confederate  soldiers,  that  nothing 
could  withstand  them.  The  Union  forces  broke  in  disorder. 
In  vain  their  commanders  tried  to  rally  them.  They  fled,  and 
ere  darkness  had  commenced,  the  battlefield  of  Bull  Run  was 
in  possession  of  the  Southern  army,  and  the  victory  was  theirs. 

Thus  terminated  the  battle,  in  which  Jackson  obtained  his 
soubriquet  of  "  Stonewall."  That  there  was  any  thing,  up  to 
this  time,  very  extraordinary  in  his  military  talents  above  his 
brother  commanders,  may  reasonably  be  questioned;  but,  a 
fortuitous  circumstance  gave  him  a  name,  and  this,  added  to 
something  of  a  Crorawellian  charm  about  the  man,  has  caused 
him  to  be  spoken  of,  perhaps,  in  a  higher  degree  than  impar 
tial  justice  to  all  would  exactly  warrant.  However,  he  was 
one  of  the  many  deserving  great  admiration  and  respect. 

The  Union  army  having  retreated  towards  Washington, 
Jackson  remained  with  his  brigade  near  Centreville.  In  Sep 
tember  he  was  made  a  major-general,  and,  in  the  early  part  of 
October,  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Confederate  forces  in 
and  around  Winchester. 

When  the  news  of  this  appointment  reached  his  old  brigade, 
which  was  to  remain  with  the  main  Virginian  army,  it  caused 
general  regret  at  the  separation.  On  the  4th  of  October  he 
took  leave  of  his  men,  and,  as  they  were  drawn  up  before  him, 
the  silent  but  deep  sorrow  expressed  in  the  countenance  of 
every  man  was  unmistakable.  With  the  short  abrupt  tones 
peculiar  to  him,  he  addressed  his  soldiers  in  words  of  praise 
for  the  past  and  exhortation  for  the  future,  adding,  that  "  he 
trusted  whenever  he  should  hear  of  the  First  brigade  on  the 
field  of  battle,  it  would  be  of  still  nobler  deeds  achieved,  and 
higher  reputation  won."  Then,  pausing  for  an  instant  while 
his  eye  ran  along  the  line,  that  outwardly  cold,  stern  soldier 
was  unable  to  master  the  emotion  within  him  ;  but,  suddenly 
rising  in  his  stirrups,  and  throwing  the  reins  upon  his  horse's 
neck,  he  extended  his  arms,  and  exclaimed,  with  an  emphasis 
that  sent  a  thrill  through  every  heart — 

u  In  the  army  of  the  Shenandoah,  you  were  the  First  bri 
gade  !  In  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  you  were  the  First  brigade  ! 
In  the  Second  corps  of  the  army,  you  are  the  First  brigade  1 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.          171 

You  are  the  First  brigade  in  the  affections  of  your  general ; 
and  I  hope,  by  your  future  deeds  and  bearing,  you  will  be 
handed  down  to  posterity  as  the  First  brigade  in  this  our 
second  war  of  independence.  Farewell !" 

Three  prolonged  and  deafening  cheers  then  burst  forth  from 
his  brave  and  hardy  soldiers,  which  were  renewed  again  and 
again.  His  face  flushed  for  a  moment  as  he  listened  to  the 
sound,  but  he  did  not  speak.  Perhaps — for  even  stern  gen 
erals  are  men — his  heart  was  too  full  to  say  another  word. 
But  he  looked  the  kindly  thanks,  and  waving  his  hand,  he 
galloped  away. 

When  Jackson  was  ordered  to  the  Shenandoah,  he  took  with 
him  several  ne\v  regiments ;  and,  attached  to  one  of  these  was 
a  genilernan,  whose  correspondence  with  another  Confederate 
officer  has  been  published  by  the  latter.  As  portions  of  it 
aptly  serve  to  illustrate  the  character  and  describe  the  move 
ments  of  General  Jackson  at  this  time,  we  briefly  transcribe 
them,  with  such  trifling  amendments  as  reference  to  other  re 
ports  make  necessary.  The  writer  says  : 

"  When  we  were  ordered  up  the  Valley  with  old  Jackson,  it 
was  considered  to  be  a  source  of  congratulation  to  all  for  going 
into  active  service ;  but,  believe  me,  I  would  willingly  have 
gone  back  into  winter-quarters  again  after  a  week's  trial,  for 
Jackson  is  the  greatest  marcher  in  the  world.  When  we  flrst 
moved  up  here,  our  orders  were  for  a  march  to  Charlestown  ; 
next  day  we  moved  back  to  Winchester ;  in  a  few  days  again 
back  to  Charlestown  ;  and  thence  from  one  place  to  another, 
until  at  last  I  began  to  imagine  we  were  commanded  by  some 
peripatetic  philosophical  madman,  whose  forte  was  pedestrian- 
ism.  With  little  or  no  baggage,  we  are  a  roving,  hungry, 
hardy  lot  of  fellows,  and  are  not  patronized  at  all  by  parsons 
or  doctors :  the  latter  have  a  perfect  sinecure  amongst  us. 
<  Stonewall '  may  be  a  very  tine  old  gentleman,  and  an  honest, 
good-tempered,  industrious  man,  but  I  should  admire  him 
much  more  in  a  state  of  rest  than  continually  seeing  him  mov 
ing  in  front.  And  such  a  dry  old  stick,  too  !  As  for  uniform, 
he  has  none — his  wardrobe  isn't  worth  a  dollar;  and  his  horse 
is  quite  in  keeping,  being  a  poor  lean  animal  of  little  spirit  or 
activity.  And  don't  he  keep  his  aides  moving  about !  Thirty 
miles  ride  at  night  through  the  mud,  is  nothing  of  a  job  ;  and, 


172  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

if  they  don't  come  up  to  time,  I'd  as  soon  face  the  devil,  for 
Jackson  takes  no  excuses  when  duty  is  on  hand.  He  is  solemn 
and  thoughtful,  speaks  but  little,  and  always  in  a  calm  decided 
tone;  and,  from  what  he  says  there  is  no  appeal,  for  he  seems 
to  know  every  hole  and  corner  of  this  valley  as  if  he  had 
made  it,  or,  at  least,  as  if  it  had  been  designed  for  his  own  use. 
He  knows  all  the  distances,  all  the  roads,  even  the  cow-paths 
through  the  woods,  and  goat-tracks  along  the  hills.  He  sits 
horse  very  awkwardly,  and  has  a  fashion  of  holding  his  head 
very  high,  and  chin  up,  as  if  searching  for  something  skywards ; 
yet,  although  you  can  never  see  his  eyes  for  the  cap-peak  drawn 
over  them,  nothing  escapes  his  observation.  His  movements 
are  sudden  and  unaccountable  :  his  staff  don't  pretend  to  keep 
up  with  him,  and,  consequently,  he  is  frequently  seen  alone, 
poking  about  in  all  sorts  of  holes  and  corners,  at  all  times  of 
night  and  day.  I  have  frequently  seen  him  approach  in 'the 
dead  of  night  and  enter  into  conversation  with  sentinels,  and 
ride  off  through  the  darkness.  ...  In  my  opinion,  Jackson 
will  assuredly  make  his  mark  in  this  war,  for  his  untiring  in 
dustry  and  eternal  watchfulness  must  tell  upon  a  numerous 
enemy  unacquainted  with  the  country,  and  incommoded  by 
large  baggage-trains.  Jackson  evidently  intends  to  supply 
himself  at  Federal  expense ;  and,  as  he  is  a  true  fire-eater,  and 
an  invincible  believer  in  our  '  manifest  destiny,'  Banks  will 
find  him  a  disagreeable  opponent  to  confront  in  the  mountain 
passes,  or  at  the  many  fords." 

Another  writer,  speaking  of  him  at  the  same  period,  says : 
"  He  is  as  calm  in  the  midst  of  a  hurricane  of  bullets  as 
he  was  in  the  pew  of  his  church  at  Lexington,  when  he  was 
professor  of  the  Institute.  He  appears  to  be  a  man  of  almost 
superhuman  endurance.  Neither  heat  nor  cold  makes  the 
slightest  impression  upon  him.  He  cares  nothing  for  good 
quarters  and  dainty  fare.  Wrapped  in  his  blanket,  he  throws 
himself  down  on  the  ground  anywhere,  and  sleeps  as  soundly 
as  though  he  were  in  a  palace.  He  lives  as  the  soldiers  live, 
and  endures  all  the  fatigue  and  all  the  suffering  that  they 
endure.  His  vigilance  is  something  marvellous.  He  never 
seems  to  sleep,  and  lets  nothing  pass  without  his  personal 
scrutiny.  He  can  neither  be  caught  napping,  nor  whipped 
when  wide  awake.  The  rapidity  of  his  marches  is  something 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.  173 

portentous.  lie  is  heard  of  by  the  enemy  at  one  point,  and 
before  they  can  make  up  their  minds  to  follow  him,  he  is  off  at 
another.  He  keeps  so  constantly  in  motion  that  lie  never 
has  a  sick-list,  and  no  need  of  hospitals." 

The  movements  of  Jackson  at  this  period  must  now  be 
briefly  mentioned.  At  the  time  he  was  ordered  to  the  Shenan- 
doah,  there  was  a  strong  force  of  the  Federals  at  Roinney  and 
Bath,  in  Northwestern  Virginia,  while  General  Banks,  with 
his  army,  was  on  the  north  of  the  Potomac,  ready  to  cross  into 
the  Valley.  Jackson,  accordingly,  determining  to  try  and 
annoy  the  enemy,  even  if  he  could  not  beat  them,  conceived 
the  idea  of  destroying  the  "dams"  up  the  river,  so  that  sup 
plies  conld  not  be  forwarded  to  the  Union  army  at  Washing 
ton  by  the  canal.  Accordingly,  the  attempt  was  made,  and, 
amid  the  cold  and  snows  of  a  severe  winter  in  that  region,  his 
men  were  engaged,  waist-deep,  in  the  river,  endeavoring  to 
tear  down  Dam  No.  5,  near  Williamsport.  The  attempt  at 
first  was  unsuccessful,  owing  to  the  severity  of  the  weather 
and  a  continual  fire  from  the  Federals  on  the  river  bank,  but, 
ultimately,  the  task  was  accomplished  in  December,  though 
with  the  loss  of  several  men. 

No  sooner  was  this  done,  than  Jackson,  on  the  1st  of  January, 
1862,  without  allowing  any  one  to  know7  whither  he  was  bound, 
started  with  his  force  of  2,200  men  to  surprise  the  Federals 
stationed  at  Bath,  otherwise  known  as  Berkley  Springs.  The 
day  was  fine,  and  the  air  soft  and  balmy,  so  that  the  men  left 
their  blankets  and  overcoats  behind,  expecting  the  wagons  to 
follow  and  join  them  before  those  articles  were  needed.  But, 
by  some  mischance,  the  wagons  did  not  come  up,  and  on  the 
third  day  of  the  march,  the  weather  changed  again  to  all  the 
severity  of  winter.  Rain,  snow,  hail,  sleet,  beat  upon  the 
troops  thus  shelterless,  and  without  their  ordinary  covering. 
The  horrors  of  the  inarch  became  fearful.  "The  country  was 
exceedingly  rough  ;  unfrequented  roads  had  to  be  taken  ;  ice 
was  on  the  ground,  and  neither  man  nor  beast  could  maintain 
a  footing.  Men  soon  were  bootless,  hatless,  and  ragged  ; 
horses  could  scarcely  stir,  and,  at  night,  the  weary  soldiers 
had  to  sleep  out  upon  the  snow  as  best  they  could.  By  and  by, 
when  the  wagons  came  up,  matters  were  in  no  ways  mended, 
for,  in  toiling  over  the  hills,  horsemen,  infantry,  wagons  and 


ITi  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

all,  would  frequent!}7  slip  over  an  embankment.  One  train  of 
wagons  and  artillery  took  from  daylight  until  3  F.  M..  to  pass  a 
hilly  point,  heavy  details  of  men  steadying  the  wagons,  and 
almost  lifting  the  animals  along." 

This  expedition  appears  to  have  been  unnecessary  and  ill 
planned.  .  But  the  object  of  it  was  accomplished.  Bath  was 
occupied  by  Jackson,  who  "  drove  'the  Federals  across  the 
Potomac,  on  one  of  the  coldest  nights  ever  known  in  that 
region,"  and  he  immediately  marched  on  towards  liomney, 
which  place  was  evacuated  by  the  Union  troops,  under  Gen 
eral  Shields,  before  Jackson's  arrival. 

At  this  time,  General  Loring,  with  Jackson's  old  brigade, 
had  joined  him,  and  the  former  was  now  left  at  Romney,  while 
the  latter,  with  his  "  Stonewall"  companions,  rapidly  returned 
to  Winchester.  Information,  however,  now  came  to  him  that 
Shields  had  united  with  Banks,  and  their  whole  army  was  on 
the  march  down  the  Valley.  Accordingly,  Jackson  speedily 
collected  his  corps  together  from  all  points,  and  prepared  to 
retire  down  the  Shenandoah  whenever  necessary.  On  the  llth 
of  March  he  evacuated  Winchester,  and  slowly  marched  along 
the  Yalley,  with  all  the  spoils  he  had  obtained,  towards 
Staunton.  But,  on  the  21st,  after  passing  Strasburg,  the  enemy 
still  following  him  thus  far,  he  heard  that  General  Shields 
was  falling  back,  and  a  body  of  Union  troops  was  moving  by 
way  of  Snicker's  Gap,  to  reinforce  the  Federals  operating 
against  General  Johnston  at  Manassas.  He  therefore,  at  once 
returned  and  pushed  forward  with  the  greatest  rapidity  to 
Winchester.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  23d,  Jackson's  army 
was  again  near  that  place,  intending  to  bivouac  for  the  night 
at  Kernstown.  But,  finding  the  enemy  likely  to  receive  rein 
forcements,  he  at  once  determined  upon  attacking  him.  The 
battle  began  about  4  p.  M.  and  continued  until  dark,  ending  in 
success  to  the  Federals,  and  Jackson  being  compelled  to  fall 
back  to  Cedar  creek. 

In  this  engagement,  it  is  understood  that  Jackson  was  com 
pletely  outwitted  by  General  Shields'  feint  of  retreating  back 
to  the  Potomac ;  but  the  Confederates,  however,  "  accomplished 
something  of  what  they  desired,  in  preventing  a  junction  of 
Banks'  command  with  other  forces." 


CHAPTER  II. 

Arrival  of  General  Ewell. — Advance  of  General  Milroy. — Jackson  unites  with  Gen 
eral  Edward  Johnson. — The  Military  Institute  Cadets  and  General  Smith. — Move 
ments  in  the  Valley. — Observance  of  the  Fast-day. — Retreat  of  General  Banks. — 
Divine  Service  in  Camp. — Movements  of  Fremont  and  Shields. — Battles  of  Crosskey 
and  Port  Republic.— Jackson  and  the  Bible  Society. — McClellan's  Army  around 
Richmond. — Jackson's  March  to  the  Peninsula, — Battle  of  Cold  Harbor. — Pursuit  of 
the  FederaJs. — Battle  of  Malvern  Hill. — Jackson's  Army  in  Camp  recuperating. — 
On  the  March  again. — Advance  towards  the  Army  of  Pope. — Battle  of  Cedar  Run. — 
Jackson  Moves  by  the  Federal  Right  Flank  to  Pope's  Rear.— Attack  on  Manassas. — 
Affair  at  Bristoe  Station. — Jackson  falls  back  to  the  old  Battlefield  of  Bull  Run.— 
Battles  of  August  29th  and  30th. — Rout  of  the  Federals. — Pursuit. — Engagement  at 
Ox  Hill. — Movement  into  Maryland. — Arrival  at  Leesburg. — Crossing  the  Potomac. — 
Capture  of  Harper's  Ferry. — Battle  of  Antietam. — Return  to  the  Shenandoah  valley. — 
Anecdote  of  Jackson.— Battle  of  Fredericksburg. 

AFTER  this  battle,  General  Jackson  retreated  in  the  direction 
of  Ilarrisoriburg,  pursued  by  Banks'  army  as  far  as  that  place. 
He  then,  on  the  19th  of  April,  crossed  the  south  fork  of  the 
Shenandoah,  and  took  position  between  that  river  and  Swift 
Run  Gap.  General  Ewell  had  also  been  directed  to  join  the 
main  body  of  Jackson's  army,  and  arrived  from  Gordonsville 
on  the  30th  of  April.  Meanwhile  it  was  ascertained  that  Gen 
eral  Milroy,  with  another  portion  of  the  Union  forces,  was  ad 
vancing  from  the  west  side  of  the  Shenandoah  mountains,  with 
the  intention  of  effecting  a  junction  with  Banks,  and  then  both 
to  attack  Staunton.  To  defeat  this,  Jackson  determined  to 
join  his  own  forces  with  the  Confederate  troops  of  General  Ed 
ward  Johnson,  then  near  Buffalo  Gap,  west  of  Staunton,  and, 
while  Ewell  was  sent  to  keep  Banks  in  check,  Milroy  should 
be  attacked.  This  was  done.  At  Staunton,  Jackson  found 
himself  earnestly  supported  by  Major-general  Smith,  his  old 
friend,  the  superintendent  of  the  Military  Institute,  and  the, 
cadets,  who  had  all  come  forward  to  assist  in  defending  that 
portion  of  the  Yalley  ;  and  on  the  7th  of  May  he  directed  John 
son  to  move  in  advance  on  Milroy's  position.  The  latter  re 
treated  until  he  was  reinforced  by  General  Schenck,  in  the 
McDowell  valley,  where  he  stood  his  ground  for  an  engage 
ment.  This  took  place  on  the  8th,  and  ended  in  the  furthei 


176  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

retreat  of  Milroy,  pursued  by  Jackson  to  the  vicinity  of  Frank 
lin.  Here  Jackson  deemed  it  advisable  to  return  to  the  Shen- 
andoah  Valley  again,  with  the  intention  of  attacking  Banks 
with  all  of  the  Confederate  forces — his  own,  Johnson's,  and 
E  well's  united — before  those  of  the  Union  commander  could  be 
again  concentrated.  On  the  loth  of  May  he  had  recrossed  the 
mountains,  and  encamped  for  the  night  near  the  Lebanon 
White  Sulphur  Springs.  Here  the  troops  were  halted  for  a 
short  time,  to  enable  them  to  attend  divine  service,  and  observe 
the  Fast  recommended  by  President  Davis.  On  the  17th,  the 
march  was  resumed  towards  Harrisonburg,  and  thence — hear 
ing  that  Banks  had  fallen  back  to  Strasburg,  which  he  was 
strongly  fortifying — he  moved  rapidly  down  the  Valley  to  New 
market,  where  a  junction  was  again  effected  with  Ewell. 
From  this  place  Jackson  crossed  to  Luray  and  Front  Royal, 
hoping,  by  a  •surprise  of  the  Union  troops  there,  to  get  in  the 
rear  of  Banks,  or  compel  him  to  abandon  his  fortifications  at 
Strasburg.  On  Friday,  May  23d,  the  Federals  were  attacked 
and  defeated  at  Front  Royal,  and  Jackson  immediately  pre 
pared  to  advance  upon  General  Banks.  But  the  next  morning 
he  was  surprised  to  hear  that  the  entire  Union  army  was  in 
rapid  retreat  up  the  Valley,  towards  Winchester.  The  Con 
federate  cavalry  had  previously  been  posted  near  the  Federals, 
and  Ewell  also  sent  on  in  advance,  and  now,  together,  these  so 
completely  harassed  the  Northern  troops,  that  something  like 
another  Bull  Run  panic  commenced.  The  scene  along  the 
road  is  described  as  something  never  before  witnessed.  "  Every 
imaginable  article  known  to  campaigning  was  strewn  about 
for  miles:  the  fields  were  crowded  with  fugitives,  while  scores 
of  ambulances  were  filled  with  foot-sore  or  wounded  Federals. 
Now  and  again  the  rear  of  the  enemy  would  rally,  and  try  to 
check  the  impetuous  advance  of  the  victorious  Confederates  ; 
but  it  was  only  a  vain  effort.  The  cavalry,  under  the  gallant 
Turner  Ashby,  the  infantry  under  Ewell,  and  the  main  body 
under  Johnson,  with  Jackson  himself  and  his  old  brigade 
amongst  them,  all  swiftly  followed  on,  capturing  immense 
spoils  and  a  vast  number  of  prisoners.  "For  many  miles 
along  the  road  towards  Winchester  and  beyond,  large  and  in 
numerable  fires  told  that  the  enemy  were  destroying  their  sup 
plies,  and  already  on  their  retreat  towards  the  Potomac.  The 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.  177 

whole  country  seemed  on  fire,  and  on  the  night  of  the  24th  the 
sight  was  awfully  grand,  for,  whichever  way  the  eye  turned, 
fires  illuminated  the  dark  and  distant  landscape." 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  25th  of  May,  Jackson  began  to 
move  on  Winchester.  Dense  columns  of  smoke  issuing  from 
the  town,  made  it  evident  that  the  enemy  were  busily  engaged 
in  burning  stores  ;  but  Jackson,  wishing  to  stop  this,  pushed 
forward,  and,  meeting  with  a  feeble  resistance,  the  Confederates 
rushed  into  the  town,  driving  the  foe  through  every  street, 
and  speedily  causing  the  Federal  troops  again  to  hurriedly  re 
treat.  But  swift  upon  their  heels  came  the  victorious  Southern 
soldiers — Ashby,  with  his  cavalry,  hanging  close  to  their  rear. 
Soon  it  was  discovered  that  Banks  had  shaped  his  course 
towards  Williamsport,  and  ere  he  had  crossed  over  to  that 
town,  the  Confederate  advance  was  well  up  with  him.  Now 
the  scene  became  even  more  intensely  exciting  than  ever. 
The  dead  and  wounded  along  the  road  were  so  numerous,  that 
it  was  more  like  the  last  of  a  battle-field  than  a  retreat. 
"  Hats,  caps,  muskets,  boots,  wagons,  burning  stores,  sa 
bres,  pistols,  etc.,  besides  exhausted  Union  soldiers,  lined 
every  yard  of  the  way,  and  could  be  found  in  the  woods 
at  either  side.  At  last,  Jackson's  army,  totally  prostrated 
from  fatigue,  and  helpless  as  children,  reached  the  vicinity 
of  Williamsport  on  the  evening  of  the  26th  of  May,  and 
found  that  all  who  remained  of  the  enemy,  had  effected  a 
passage  across  the  river  at  different  points,  and  were  safe  in 
Maryland." 

On  the  following  day  "  divine  service  was  held  in  the  camps 
of  the  Southern  army,  and  thanks  rendered  to  God  for  the 
success  with  which  He  had  blessed  their  arms,  and  His  con 
tinued  favor  implored, — a  duty  which  General  Jackson  never 
failed  to  impress  upon  his  troops."  The  men  then  rested  ;  but 
on  the  28th,  movements  against  the  enemy  were  renewed. 
The  Federals  still  had  some  of  their  divided  army  near  Charles- 
town,  but  Generals  Winder  and  Ewell  were  sent  by  Jackson 
to  disperse  them ;  and  this  accomplished,  it  was  then  necessary 
for  Jackson  to  guard  against  a  serious  peril  which  menaced 
him  behind.  Shields  was  moving  rapidly  towards  his 
right,  and  Fremont  from  near  Eomney,  on  his  left,  with  a 
view  of  concentrating  a  heavy  force  in  his  rear,  and  cutting 

12 


178  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

off  a  retreat  up  the  valley.  To  avoid  this,  Jackson,  on  the 
30th  of  May,  with  all  his  troops,  except  Winder's  and  the 
cavalry,  returned  to  Winchester.  Before  he  reached  there, 
however,  news  came  that  the  Union  cavalry  had  already  ap 
peared  at  Front  Royal,  and  the  Confederate  force  left  in  pos 
session  had  abandoned  it.  Jackson,  therefore,  on  the  31st, 
hurried  forward,  and  moved  towards  Strasburg,  encamping 
there  that  evening.  Next  morning,  June  1st,  Fremont's  forces 
having  arrived  by  the  way  of  Wardensville,  attacked  Jackson's 
outposts  in  that  direction.  Ewell  was  nowr  ordered  to  hold 
Fremont  in  check  until  the  remainder  of  the  Confederate  forces 
under  Winder  arrived,  which  they  did  that  evening, — a  part  of 
them,  the  Second  Virginia,  having  marched  thirty-six  miles. 
The  command  being:  thus  united  again,  the  retreat  continued 

O  O  ? 

towards  Harrisoriburg. 

The  incidents  of  this  retreat  now  became  numerous  and  most 
exciting.  Fremont  hung  close  upon  Jackson's  rear,  but  the 
gallant  Ashby,  by  his  skill  and  personal  daring,  materially 
checked  the  pursuit,  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the  5th  of 
June  the  Confederates  reached  Ilarrisonburg,  and  passing 
beyond  the  town,  turned  towards  the  east,  in  the  direction  of 
Port  Republic.  Next  day  an  engagement  took  place  between 
Ashby's  cavalry,  supported  by  General  G.  H.  Stewart's  bri 
gade  of  infantry,  and  the  Union  cavalry,  supported  by  the 
Pennsylvania  "  Bucktails."  In  this  encounter,  two  important 
Union  officers — Colonel  Sir  Percy  Wyndham,  and  Lieutenant- 
colonel  Kane — were  captured  by  the  Confederates,  and  their 
forces  driven  from  the  field  ;  but  this  was  dearly  bought  by 
the  death  of  the  heroic  Ashby. 

The  main  body  of  Jackson's  command  had  now  reached 
Port  Republic,  and  were  encamped  on  the  high  ground  north 
of  the  village,  about  a  mile  from  the  South  river,  a  tributary 
of  the  Shenandoah.  Swell's  forces  were  four  miles  distant, 
near  the  road  leading  from  Ilarrisonburg.  Fremont  had  ar 
rived  with  his  forces  in  that  vicinity,  and  Shields  was  fifteen 
miles  below  Port  Republic.  Jackson's  position  was  about 
equidistant  from  both  parties,  and  it  was  his  object  to  prevent, 
if  possible,  a  junction  between  them.  Accordingly,  when 
Shields  had  approached  nearer,  he  was  attacked  by  Jackson, 
at  Port  Republic,  and  driven  back,  while  Ewell  encountered 


GENERAL    THOMAS   JONATHAN    JACKSON.  179 

Fremont's  advanced  forces,  and,  after  a  sharp  engagement  at 
Cross  Keys,  on  the  8th  of  June,  defeated  them. 

The  forces  of  General  Shields  having  retreated,  it  was  now 
easier  to  attack  Fremont,  when  he  again  made  his  appearance ; 
but  that  general  deemed  it  more  wise  to  concentrate  his  troops 
around  Winchester,  as  a  base  of  operations,  and  accordingly 
retreated  thither,  leaving  Jackson  to  pursue  his  triumphant 
march  unmolested. 

On  the  12th  of  June,  Jackson  recrossed  South  river,  and  en 
camped  near  Weyer's  Cave ;  "  and  for  the  purpose,"  as  he 
said,  "  of  returning  thanks  to  God  for  having  crowned  our 
army  with  success,  and  to  implore  his  continual  favor,  divine 
service  was  held  in  the  army  on  the  14th."  The  army  re 
mained  in  the  same  place  until  the  17th,  when  Jackson  again 
took  up  the  line  of  march,  but,  now,  to  join  in  the  great 
movements  then  going  on  around  Richmond. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  General  Jackson  was  made  a 
Life  Director  of  the  Bible  Society  of  the  Confederate  States ; 
and  the  following  is  his  letter  of  acknowledgment : 

HEADQUARTERS  VALLEY  DISTRICT,  VIRGINIA,  July  21,  1862. 
REV.  E.  A.  BOOLES,  General  Agent 

Bible  Society  of  Confederate  States  of  America : 

DEAR  SIR  : — I  gratefully  acknowledge  the  honor  conferred 
upon  me  by  a  portion  of  God's  -people^  in  constituting  me  a 
Life  Director  of  the  Bible  Society  of  the  Confederate  States  of 
America. 

It  is  a  cause  in  which  I  feel  a  deep  interest,  and  my  earnest 
prayer  is,  that  God  will  make  this  infant  Bible  Society  the 
means  not  only  of  giving  His  blessed  Word  to  our  own  people, 
but  of  sending  it  freely  to  the  remotest  nations  of  the  earth. 

Inclosed  is  a  check  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  Please 
acknowledge  its  reception,  and  believe  me  to  be,  very  truly, 
your  friend  and  brother  in  Christ, 

T.  J.  JACKSON. 

During  the  period  of  Jackson's  labors  in  the  Shenandoah, 
the  Union  army,  under  McClellan,  had  invested  Richmond ; 
but,  on  the  31st  of  May,  at  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines,  General 
Johnston  inflicted  upon  the  Federals  the  first  of  those  severe 


1£0  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

checks  that  finally  ended  in  their  withdrawal  before  the  Con 
federates  under  General  Lee.  We  have  already  seen,  in  our 
sketch  of  General  Lee's  life,  how  this  was  accomplished,  and  it 
would  be  a  needless  repetition  to  go  again  into  details.  We 
shall,  therefore,  confine  ourselves  simply  to  the  personal  move 
ments  of  Jackson. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  General  Jackson  commenced  his  march 
from  Weyer's  Cave  to  the  Peninsula,  leaving  a  small  force  at 
Harrisonburg  to  watch  the  enemy.  On  the  25th  he  had  ar 
rived  at  Ashland,  sixteen  miles  from  Richmond,  at  the  very 
time  McClellan,  probably  hearing  of  his  advance,  "  closed  the 
siege,  by  changing  his  policy  from  offence  to  defence."  The 
next  day,  Jackson,  as  directed  by  Lee,  steadily  advanced  to 
wards  Cold  Harbor,  where  he  immediately  took  up  a  position 
to  fall  upon  the  enemy.  On  the  27th  of  June  the  great  battle 
began.  "Stuart,  with  his  cavalry,  was  posted  on  the  left  of 
Jackson's  troops,  to  charge  and  intercept  the  Federals  if  they 
attempted  to  retreat  in  the  direction  of  the  Pamunkey ;  and 
hardly  had  line  of  battle  been  formed,  when  heavy  firing  on 
the  right  indicated  that  General  A.  P.  Hill,  who  had  gone  in 
that  direction,  was  hard  pressed.  Jackson  immediately  or 
dered  a  general  advance  of  his  entire  corps,  which  hastened 
forward,  Whiting's  division  on  the  right  of  the  line,  and  Jack 
son's,  Ewell's,  and  D.  H.  Hill's,  in  the  order  named,  from  right 
to  left.  The  welcome  sound  of  Jackson's  guns  came  to  Lee 
and  Longstreet  as  they  wrere  hastening  forward  from  Games' 
Mill,  and  the  entire  Confederate  force  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Chickahominy,  which  had  only  waited  the  arrival  of  Jackson, 
advanced  in  one  wild  charge,  and  the  battle  began  to  rage  with 
a  fury  until  then  unknown."  The  result  is  well  known.  The 
Union  forces  fought  heroically,  and  occasionally  gained  some 
advantage;  but,  "just  as  night  was  descending,  the  general 
and  decisive  charge  was  made  all  along  the  line,  and  in  obedi 
ence  to  Jackson's  brief,  stern  order,  <  Press  them  with  the 
bayonet!'  Hill's,  Ewell's,  Whiting's,  and  Jackson's  divisions 
all  charged.  Hood's  Texans,  and  the  Stonewall  brigade,  in 
advance  of  all  the  rest,  pressed  forward,  with  cheers  of  defiance, 
over  every  obstacle ;  and  before  this  terrible  charge  in  front, 
and  the  storm  of  artillery  on  their  right,  the  enemy  wavered, 
broke,  and  were  put  to  rout.  Posted  in  advance  of  his  batter- 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.          181 

ies,  his  figure  clearly  revealed  by  the  fires  which  the  enemy 
had  kindled  to  draw  the  artillery  fire  from  their  guns,  Jack 
son  heard  the  wild  cheers  of  his  men  as  they  pursued  the  fly 
ing  enemy  in  the  direction  of  Grapevine  bridge." 

2srext  morning,  Jackson  sent  Ewell  forward  to  Dispatch  sta 
tion,  on  the  York  Elver  railroad,  General  Stuart  being  in 
advance  with  his  cavalry.  The  cavalry  attacked  and  routed 
a  party  of  the  enemy,  and  Ewell  tore  up  and  destroyed  the 
railroad  at  that  point. 

Jackson  remained  on  the  battlefield  directing  movements, 
as  the  Confederate  forces  pursued  McClellan's  army ;  and  on 
the  night  of  the  29th,  he  crossed  to  the  right  bank  of  the 
Chickahominy,  hastily  reconstructing  the  bridge  destroyed  by 
the  Federals.  At  Savage  station,  he  gathered  up  about  1,000 
stragglers  from  the  Union  army,  and  then  proceeded  to  White 
Oak  Swamp,  where  he  pressed  heavily  upon  the  enemy's  rear, 
to  Frazier's  farm.  There  he  met  Generals  Lee  and  Long- 
street,  and  was  at  once  assigned  to  the  front,  infusing,  by  his 
presence,  new  ardor  into  the  pursuit.  At  Malvern  Hill  his 
corps  was  confronted  by  the  entire  army  of  McClellan,  and,  in 
that  heavy  engagement,  lost  some  of  its  best  men. 

It  was  during  these  battles  that  Jackson  and  Lee  met  for 
the  first  time  in  the  war,  and,  having  now  seen  each  other  at 
work,  there  sprung  up  at  once  between  them  that  profound 
respect,  confidence,  and  regard,  which  thenceforth  knew  no 
diminution.  Jackson's  opinion  of  Lee  was  shown,  when  he 
said,  "  He  is  a  phenomenon — I  would  follow  him  blind 
folded  ;"  and  the  appreciation  of  Lee  for  Jackson,  after  events 
fully  proved,  when,  on  the  occasion  of  Jackson's  death,  he  ex 
pressed  himself  as  having  lost  his  right  arm. 

The  day  after  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  Jackson  was  sent 
forward  towards  Harrison's  landing,  and  on  the  following  day 
there  was  a  desultory  skirmish  between  the  opposing  forces ; 
but  the  great  and  bloody  drama  of  the  Peninsula  campaign, 
on  that  occasion,  was  ended  ;  and  on  the  8th  of  July,  when  the 
Confederates  were  withdrawn,  Jackson's  corps  returned  to 
Richmond,  and  went  into  camp  on  the  Mechanicsville  road. 
Here,  for  a  time,  it  might  be  naturally  expected  that  he 
and  his  hardy  soldiers  would  have  obtained  some  rest,  after 
the  constant  marching  and  countermarching,  with  the  numer- 


182  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

ous  engagements  they  had  gone  through.  But  it  was  not  so. 
Only  a  few  days  had  elapsed  when  new  movements  had  to  be 
made.  Pope  was  massing  large  bodies  of  Union  troops  on  the 
Eapidan,  and  threatening  the  Central  railroad  at  Gordonsville, 
consequently  he  must  be  promptly  checked.  General  Lee  had 
quickly  perceived  that  the  scene  of  action  was  rapidly  chang 
ing  from  the  James  to  the  Rappahannock,  and  it  was  neces 
sary  to  maintain  the  Confederate  position  at  such  an  important 
place  as  Gordonsville.  Accordingly,  Jackson  was  directed  to 
proceed  thither  and  guard  that  point  against  the  threatened 
assault  upon  it. 

At  the  time  this  order  was  given,  no  one  except  the  official 
few  had  any  idea  where  the  destination  would  be  ;  and,  says 
one  writer,  as  for  gleaning  any  information  concerning  it  from 
"the  sharp-eyed,  tart,  sarcastic,  crabbed-spoken  Jackson,''  a 
person  might  as  reasonably  "whistle  jigs  to  a  mile-stone." 
When  his  corps  received  orders  to  move,  some  imagined  mere 
ly  a  change  of  camps,  or  some  such  indifferent  movement,  yet 
when  Richmond  was  left  far  to  the  south,  and  the  column  pro 
ceeded  rapidly  in  a  northwestern  direction,  many  thought  it 
was  again  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  But  facts  soon  became 
known,  when,  on  the  19th  of  July,  Jackson  with  his  own  old 
division  and  General  Ewell's  arrived  at  Gordonsville.  Here 
Jackson  received  information  that  the  Federal  army  in  his 
front  was  in  great  force,  and,  accordingly,  upon  his  represen 
tation,  General  A.  P.  Hill's  was  sent  to  reinforce  him.  It 
was  not  long,  now,  before  the  advanced  forces  of  cavalry,  on 
both  sides,  came  into  collision  at  Orange  Court-house,  and  the 
Confederate  horsemen  had  to  retreat ;  but  Jackson  ascertaining 
that  only  a  portion  of  Pope's  army  was  at  Culpepper,  he  de 
termined  to  advance  and  attack  it  before  the  remaining  Union 
forces  could  arrive.  Accordingly,  on  the  7th  of  August,  he 
moved  with  his  entire  force  from  Gordonsville  in  the  direction 
of  the  enemy.  On  the  9th,  Jackson  reached  a  point  about 
eight  miles  fromvCulpepper,  and  found  the  Union  troops,  under 
General  Banks  and  General  Sigel,  posted  in  his  front,  near 
Cedar  Run,  a  short  distance  west  and  north  of  Slaughter  moun 
tain.  "  A  large  body  of  Federal  cavalry  occupied  a  ridge  on 
the  right  of  the  road,  and  a  Confederate  battery,  under  Lieu 
tenant  Terry,  at  once  opened  upon  it.  General  Early  then 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.  183 

advanced,  keeping  near  the  Culpepper  road,  while  General 
Ewell  diverged  to  the  right  along  the  slope  of  the  mountain. 
Early,  forming  in  line  of  battle,  moved  into  the  open  field, 
and  drove  the  enemy's  cavalry  before  him  to  the  crest  of  a  hill. 
Along  this  hill  the  Federal  batteries  were  posted,  ready  to 
open  as  soon  as  he  appeared.  In  his  front,  the  country  was, 
for  some  distance,  open  and  broken.  A  cornfield,  and  to  the 
left  of  it  a  wheatfield,  extended  to  the  opposite  hill,  which  was 
covered  with  timber."  As  soon  as  Early  reached  the  eminence 
described,  the  Federal  batteries  opened  upon  him,  large  bodies 
of  cavalry  appearing  in  the  wheatfield  to  the  left.  A  rapid 
and  well-directed  fire  wras  returned,  and  the  engagement 
began. 

By  this  time,  General  Winder,  with  Jackson's  own  division, 
had  arrived,  and  he  immediately  disposed  the  several  brigades 
under  Garnett,  Taliaferro,  and  his  own  under  Colonel  Eonald, 
in  position  behind  various  batteries.  He  was  then  proceeding 
to  direct  the  movements  of  these  batteries  when  he  was  struck 
by  a  shell,  from  which  he  expired  in  a  few  hours.  The  com 
mand  of  Jackson's  division  now  devolved  upon  Brigadier- 
general  W.  B.  Taliaferro.  whose  brigade,  during  the  action,  was 
commanded  by  Colonel  A.  G.  Taliaferro. 

Meanwhile,  Ewell  had  reached  the  northwest  termination  of 
Slaughter  mountain,  and  upon  an  elevated  spot,  about  two 
hundred  feet  above  the  valley  below,  had  planted  Latirner's 
guns,  which  opened  with  marked  effect  upon  the  enemy's  bat 
teries.  At  5  P.  M.  Banks  had  thrown  forward  his  skirmishers 
through  the  cornfield,  and  advanced  his  infantry.  Another 
body  of  infantry,  at  the  same  time,  m,oved  upon  Early's  right, 
and  speedily  the  fight  extended  from  the  left  to  the  centre,  in 
a  sharp  and  very  warm  contest.  General  Hill  had  sent  one  of 
his  brigades  to  support  Early,  and  while  the  fight  was  in  pro 
gress  here,  the  Federals  fell  with  great  vigor  on  the  Confederate 
left,  turning  it,  and  pouring  a  destructive  fire  into  the  rear, 
compelling  Taliaferro's  brigade  to  fall  back.  At  this  critical 
moment,  Branch's  brigade,  of  Hill's  division,  and  Winder's 
brigade,  came  up  and  succeeded  in  driving  back  the  Federals 
with  great  slaughter.  A  general  charge  was  now  made  by 
Jackson,  and  resulted  in  driving  the  enemy  across  the  field 
into  the  opposite  wood,  strewing  the  narrow  valley  with  their 


184:  SOUTHERN    GENEKALS. 

dead.  The  victory  for  the  Confederates  was  gained,  and,  as 
night  fell,  the  full-orbed  moon  soared  aloft,  pouring  its  mellow 
light  upon  the  field  of  carnage.  Over  the  beautiful  slopes  of 
Culpepper,  covered  with  the  wounded  and  the  dying,  the 
battle-flag  of  the  South  floated  proudly  in  the  light  of  the  calm 
August  moon.  But  the  contest  was  hard  and  desperate,  and, 
at  one  time,  the  day  seemed  to  be  in  favor  of  the  Federals.  It 
was  then,  however,  that  Jackson,  carried  away  by  the  excite 
ment  of  the  battle,  threw  aside  his  usual  cool  reserve,  and 
rushed  forward  to  the  front,  rallied,  with  his  voice  and  mien, 
his  confused  troops,  and  ordering  the  decisive  bayonet  charge, 
retrieved  the  broken  fortunes  of  the  day. 

Jackson  being  now  anxious  to  reach  Culpepper  without 
delay,  determined  to  advance  through  the  night,  but  his  front 
having  encountered  the  enemy's  batteries  posted  in  the  woods, 
it  was  deemed  necessary  to  halt,  and  this  was  done.  On  the 
following  morning,  the  10th,  he  heard  that  the  Federals  had 
been  reinforced,  and,  therefore,  did  not  advance  any  further. 
General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  now  arrived  on  a  tour  of  inspection, 
and  at  Jackson's  request  took  command  of  the  cavalry  to 
reconnoitre.  On  the  llth,  a  flag  of  truce  wras  received  from 
the  Union  commander,  requesting  permission  to  remove  and 
bury  the  dead.  This  was  granted  until  5  P.  M.,  when,  hearing 
from  Stuart  that  the  enemy  were  too  heavily  reinforced  to  be 
wisely  attacked,  Jackson,  during  the  night,  fell  back  towards 
Gordonsville,  with  a  view  to  strategic  movements  of  his  own. 

On  the  14th,  as  was  customary  with  him,  General  Jackson 
rested  his  troops  to  "  return  thanks  to  God  for  the  victory 
won,"  and  also  to  await  the  main  army,  which  was  now 
rapidly  marching,  under  General  Lee,  from  Kichmond  to 
co-operate  with  him.  General  Lee  soon  arrived,  united  with 
Jackson  near  Culpepper,  and  immediately  made  various 
demonstrations  at  the  fords  of  the  Kapidan,  lower  down,  to 
attract  Pope's  attention  while  Jackson  attempted  a  flank 
movement  on  the  left.  On  the  25th,  with  some  25,000  men, 
Jackson  left  the  main  army,  and  proceeded  rapidly  towards 
the  head  waters  of  the  Eappahannock,  crossed  that  river  at 
Hinton's  ford,  dragging  his  artillery  with  difficulty  up  the 
narrow  and  rock-ribbed  road  beyond,  and  pushed  forward  with 
the  utmost  speed.  It  was  something  of  a  gigantic  task. 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.  185 

Indeed,  the  undertaking  was  almost  superhuman.  Miles  of 
weary  marching — across  open  fields,  by  strange  country  roads 
and  comfortable  homesteads,  past  a  little  town  called  Orleans, 
up  the  steeps,  along  and  across  the  valleys  skirting  the  Blue 
Ridge  mountains;  always  on,  on,  and  seldom  resting  even  for 
an  instant — footsore,  hungry,  and  all  but  completely  exhausted 
— did  the  daring  band  under  Jackson  (himself  ever  sharing  the 
same  fatigue  and  hardship)  push  forward  to  Thoroughfare 
Gap,  that  it  might  be  reached  before  the  enemy  could  be 
aware  of  their  intention.  At  midnight  the  troops  arrived  at 
Salem,  rested  a  few  hours,  and  then,  at  dawn  of  day,  on  they 
marched  again.  At  length  they  reached  the  Gap.  It  is,  as  is 
well  known,  a  mountain  gorge,  and  was  then  undefended  by 
the  Federals.  Jackson,  therefore,  passed  rapidly  between  the 
frowning  ramparts  with  his  little  army,  hungry,  exhausted, 
but  resolute  as  ever,  and  descended,  like  a  hawk,  upon 
Manassas. 

General  Stuart  had  pushed  in  advance  with  his  cavalry, 
ascended  the  Bull  Run  mountain,  by  a  winding  and  rocky 
road,  to  the  right  of  the  Gap,  and  descending  the  eastern 
acclivity,  took  his  post  again  in  front  and  on  the  flanks  of 
the  army,  which,  on  the  afternoon  of  Tuesday,  the  26th, 
reached  the  neighborhood  of  Manassas. 

Jackson  was  now  completely  in  the  enemy's  rear,  and 
speedily  possessed  himself  of  the  railroad  which  supplied  their 
army,  while  Lee  was  rapidly  approaching  in  the  Federal  front. 
Manassas  was  quickly  captured  by  Stuart,  with  his  cavalry 
and  some  infantry,  and  the  first  symptoms  of  a  general  engage 
ment  now  appeared.  The  old  ground  of  the  Bull  Run  battle 
was  to  be  the  scene  of  another  great  fight,  and,  on  the  morning 
of  the  27th,  reinforcements  from  Washington,  under  General 
Taylor,  passed  the  Stone  bridge,  and  advanced  upon  that 
portion  of  the  Confederate  troops  at  Manassas.  An  engage 
ment  followed,  ending  in  the  rout  of  the  Federals,  who  were 
driven  over  Bull  Run,  by  Blackburn's  ford,  with  the  loss  of 
their  commander,  arid  hotly  pursued  by  the  Stuart  horse- 
artillery,  under  Major  Pelham.  Later,  on  the  same  day, 
Ewell  attacked  Hooker  at  Bristoe  station,  but  was  compelled 
to  retreat  and  fall  back  to  the  main  army  at  Manassas.  At 
the  same  time,  General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  with  some  cavalry,  went 


ISO  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

on  an  expedition  to  Fairfax  Court-house,  to  still  further 
damage  the  Federal  communications,  and,  if  possible,  cut  off 
the  retreat  of  Taylor's  brigade.  At  nightfall,  Jackson  directed 
Manassas  to  be  evacuated,  after  destroying  all  the  Union  stores 
found  there,  and  setting  the  place  on  fire. 

Jackson's  position  was  now  somewhat  hazardous.  Lee  was 
approaching,  but  had  not  yet  come  up — (Longs treet's  corps 
taking  the  same  route  that  Jackson  had) — and  Pope  was  mov 
ing  with  his  whole  force  to  attack  him.  But  it  was  necessary 
that  the  advanced  ground  should  be  maintained,  and,  accord 
ingly,  Jackson  determined  merely  to  fall  back  to  within  sup 
porting  distance  of  Longstreet,  and  hold  on  till  the  main  body 
of  the  Confederate  army  arrived.  This  was  done.  lie  divided 
his  corps,  and  sent  Hill  by  way  of  Blackburn's  ford  to  Centre- 
ville,  so  as  to  deceive  the  enemy,  while  he  himself  took  up  a 
position  on  the  precise  ground  occupied  by  the  right  of  the 
Federal  army  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Kun.  There  he  was 
joined  by  Hill,  who,  according  to  orders,  had  turned  from 
Centreville  back  along  the  Warrenton  road,  and  crossed  the 
Stone  bridge  to  Jackson's  quarters. 

Meantime,  the  enemy  had  followed  Hill,  and  pursued  him 
hotly  until  his  rear-guard  had  passed  over  Bull  Run,  while 
Stuart  attacked  a  portion  of  the  Federals  at  Haymarket,  and 
Bent  forward  a  dispatch  to  Longstreet,  who  was  then  fighting 
at  Thoroughfare  Gap. 

It  was  now  late  in  the  day,  August  28th,  and  the  LTnion 
forces  were  seen  advancing,  with  the  intention  of  crossing  the 
stream  at  the  Stone  bridge  and  Sudley  ford.  Whereupon, 
Jackson  immediately  decided  to  attack  them,  and,  pointing  to 
the  enemy  in  his  front,  he  said,  brieflv,  "Ewell,  advance!"  A 
fierce  engagement  followed,  and  at  nightfall  the  enemy  gave 
way,  but  remained,  not  far  off,  in  line  of  battle  waiting  for 
daylight. 

In  this  engagement,  General  Ewell  was  badly  wounded  in 
the  knee,  and  his  services  were,  consequently,  lost  in  the  sub 
sequent  battles. 

At  this  time,  a  courier  brought  to  Jackson  the  welcome  in 
telligence  that  Longstreet  had  passed  Thoroughfare  Gap,  and 
was  rapidly  pressing  forward  to  join  him  :  also,  that  Lee  him 
self  was  near.  The  information  was  an  immense  relief  to  him, 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.          187 

and  when  the  news  came,  he  drew  a  long  breath,  and  uttered 
a  sigh  of  intense  satisfaction. 

The  next  morning,  Friday,  August  29th,  Longstreet  arrived 
and  took  position.  General  Lee  was  on  the  ground  nearly  at 
the  same  time,  and  immediately  the  order  of  battle  was  formed, 
though  General  Anderson's  division  had  not  yet  come  up,  and 
the  whole  of  the  Confederate  forces  were  overpowered  by  long 
inarches  and  incessant  encounters  with  their  foe. 

While  Lee  was  thus  getting  his  men  into  position,  the  Fed 
erals  energetically  attacked  Jackson,  and  gradually  the  fight 
became  general  along  his  entire  column.  It  continued  very 
severe,  and  with  changing  success  until  the  afternoon,  when 
Hood's  division,  of  Longstreet's  corps,  was  ordered  to  attack  the 
enemy's  left.  This  was  done  with  marked  effect.  Jackson, 
thus  strengthened,  fought  with  renewed  vigor,  and  finally, 
about  9  P.  M.,  the  enemy  was  compelled  to  retire  for  nearly  a 
mile.  During  the  night,  however,  General  Lee  directed  his 
troops  to  fall  back  to  their  old  and  better  position  of  the  morn 
ing,  where  they  could  again  attack,  with  more  advantage,  next 
day. 

The  following  morning,  August  30th,  the  battle  was  re 
newed  ;  but,  as  General  Lee  was  now  commanding  in  person, 
and  as  we  have  alread}^  briefly  given  the  events  of  the  fight 
in  our  sketch  of  that  general,  we  may  refer  to  it  for  details. 
Enough  to  say  that  the  day  ended  in  a  complete  victory  for 
the  Confederates,  and  another  disastrous  rout  to  the  Union 
forces  on  the  celebrated  battlefield  of  Bull  Run. 

On  the  next  day,  Sunday,  August  31st,  Jackson's  corps 
pressed  the  enemy  towards  Centreville,  and  on  Monday  after 
noon  his  advance  had  a  brief  but  severe  engagement  at  Ox 
Hill,  just  above  Germantown,  the  Confederates  occupying 
Fairfax  Court-house  that  same  night. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  now,  at  last,  some  rest  would  be 
obtained  by  Jackson's  iron-framed  soldiers;  but  hardly  had 
the  victory  been  won,  and  Fairfax  occupied,  than  a  new  move 
ment  commenced, — this  time,  for  the  purpose  of  crossing  into 
Maryland.  On  the  second  day  after  the  battle  at  Ox  Hill, 
Jackson  arrived  at  Leesburg,  and  was  there  joined  by  the 
other  corps  of  the  army.  From  Leesburg,  in  accordance  with 
General  Lee's  plans,  he  marched  straight  across  the  country  to 


188  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

Williamsport,  for  the  purpose  of  possessing  Martinsburg,  and 
intercepting  the  Federal  retreat  if  the  enemy  moved  up  the 
river,  while  McLaws  occupied  Maryland  heights ;  and  this  with 
a  view  to  the  surrender  of  Harper's  Ferry,  then  garrisoned  by 
a  large  force  of  Union  troops,  under  General  Miles.  Jackson 
rapidly  and  most  successfully  performed  his  task,  and  Harper's 
Ferry,  with  "  11,000  troops,  an  equal  number  of  small-arms, 
seventy-three  pieces  of  artillery,  and  about  200  wagons,  sur 
rendered,  on  the  15th  of  September.  This  accomplished,  Jack 
son,  leaving  General  A.  P.  Hill  to  hold  Harper's  Ferry,  hastily 
marched  to  join  Lee,  who  had  fallen  back  to  Sharpsburg,  after 
a  heavy  encounter  with  McClellan  on  the  14th,  at  South 
Mountain. 

By  a  severe  night's  march,  Jackson  reached  the  vicinity  of 
Sharpsbnrg  on  the  morning  of  the  16th,  and,  by  direction  of 
Lee,  he  immediately  advanced  on  the  enemy,  taking  position 
to  the  left  of  Longstreet,  near  a  Dunkard  church,  Swell's  di 
vision  (General  Lawton  commanding)  forming  the  right,  and 
his  own  divison  (General  J.  R.  Jones  commanding)  forming 
the  left.  Major-general  Stuart,  with  the  cavalry,  was  also  on 
his  left. 

That  night  the  troops  slept  upon  their  arms,  and  on  the  fol 
lowing  day,  Wednesday,  September  17th,  the  battle  of  Antie- 
tam  was  fought.  The  result  has  already  been  related  (see  page 
77),  and,  on  the  morning  of  the  19th,  the  Confederate  army 
having  recrossed  the  Potomac,  Jackson,  with  his  troops,  was 
again  on  the  way  to  Martinsburg.  The  next  day,  a  Federal 
force  crossed  in  pursuit,  but  was  routed  by  a  portion  of  Jack 
son's  corps,  under  A.  P.  Hill.  On  the  evening  of  the  20th, 
the  command  moved  to  the  Opequon  river,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Martinsburg,  and  encamped  there  for  a  week.  At  the  end  of 
that  time,  Jackson  went  a  little  further  on  to  Bunker  Hill,  and 
there,  at  length,  gave  to  his  weary  troops  that  rest  they  so 
much  needed. 

In  connection  with  this  period,  the  following  incident  is  re 
lated  of  Jackson.  A  correspondent  states,  that  "  on  the 
morning  of  a  recent  battle  near  Harper's  Ferry,  after  a  sermon 
by  one  of  his  chaplains,  Stonewall  Jackson,  who,  by  the  way, 
is  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  administerecl  the  sacra 
ment  to  the  church-members  in  his  army.  He  invited  all 


GENERAL    THOMAS    JONATHAN    JACKSON.  189 

Christians  to  participate  in  this  ceremony.  A  Baptist,  the 
straitest  of  his  sect,  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  idea  of  close 
communion,  was  seen  to  hesitate;  hut  the  occasion,  and  the 
man  who  presided,  overcame  his  scruples:  and  thus  it  lias  hap 
pened  that  the  prospect  of  a  fight  and  the  eloquence  of  Jack 
son  made  a  Baptist  forget  that  baptism  is  the  door  into  the 
Church.  In  all  Jackson's  army  an  oath  is  rarely  uttered.  A 
religious  enthusiasm  pervades  it  which  makes  every  man  a 
hero.  Conscious  of  the  justice  of  our  cause,  and  imbued  with 
the  strongest  convictions  of  patriotism,  his  men  are  irresistible. 
In  this  incident  we  have  an  explanation  of  General  Jackson's 
invincibility,  and  we  are  thus  enabled  to  understand  why  his 
men  are  all  heroes,  and  why  they  endure  without  a  murmur 
the  severest  hardships  to  which  any  troops  have  been  sub 
jected  during  the  war.  When  peace  is  restored,  it  will  be  honor 
enough  for  any  man  to  say,  '  I  belonged  to  the  army  of  Stone 
wall  Jackson.' " 

In  the  month  of  November,  1862,  the  Confederate  army  was 
once  more  on  the  move  towards  the  Rappahannock,  and  Jack 
son,  with  his  hardy  veterans,  accompanied  it,  forming  the  rear 
guard,  as  far  as  Millwood,  where  he  remained  until  the  1st  of 
December,  watching  the  enemy  and  retarding  his  movements. 
He  was  then  sent  for  to  join  Lee  at  Fredericksburg,  which  he 
did,  by  a  rapid  march,  on  the  10th,  and  his  corps  encamped 
beyond  the  Masraponnax,  entirely  out  of  sight,  but  ready  for 
prompt  work  when  called  upon.  This  was  not  long  un re 
quired.  The  battle  of  Fredericksburg  may  be  said  to  have 
commenced  on  the  llth,  and  ended  on  the  night  of  the  15th- 
16th,  but  the  principal  engagement  was  on  the  13th,  and  in  it 
Jackson,  as  usual,  had  a  goodly  share.  We  have,  however, 
already  given  an  account  of  this  (see  page  82),  and  therefore 
pass  on  to  succeeding  events. 

After  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  Jackson  retired  to  Moss 
Neck  for  winter-quarters,  with  his  corps  hidden  in  the  wToods, 
and  for  a  while  devoted  himself  to  the  task  of  preparing  his 
official  reports.  In  this  work  it  is  said  that  he  was  exceed 
ingly  careful  not  to  have  any  thing  placed  on  record  which 
was  not  established  by  irrefutable  proof.  Truth  was  with  him 
the  jewel  beyond  all  price — and  nothing  discomposed  him  more 
than  the  bare  suspicion  that  accuracy  was  sacrificed  to  effect. 


190  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

He  disliked  all  glowing  adjectives  in  the  narratives  of  his  bat 
tles  ;  and  presented  to  the  members  of  his  staff  and  all  around 
him,  a  noble  example  of  modesty  and  love  of  truth.  He 
disliked  all  ostentation,  self-laudation,  or  the  attempts  of  others 
to  elevate  him  above  his  brother  commanders.  He  objected 
to  all  popular  ovations  ;  and  even  refused,  on  several  occasions, 
to  allow  his  portrait  to  be  taken.  Thus,  an  account  uf  the 
battles  wherein  he  fought  may  be  relied  upon  as  strictly  truth 
ful,  if  following  his  official  reports,  which  are  "the  sworn 
statements  of  a  man  who  would  have  laid  down  his  very  life 
before  he  would  have  attached  his  name  to  what  was  partial, 
unfair,  or  aught  but  the  simple,  absolute  truth." 

The  army  now  rested  from  its  severe  toils  :  the  brave  men 
who  had  so  long  battled  with  an  equally  brave  enemy,  now 
had  months  to  recuperate,  and  gather  fresh  strength  ere  the 
fierce  cry  of  battle-strife  was  again  likely  to  be  heard,  though 
they  were  ever  ready,  should  signs  of  any  fresh  encounter  be 
presented.  Jackson  himself,  at  length,  enjoyed  some  relief 
from  the  anxieties  and  cares  that  had  incessantly  pressed  upon 
his  mind  ever  since  the  war  began.  With  his  headquarters  in 
a  small  outbuilding  of  the  "  Corbin  House,"  situated  on  a  crest 
of  hills  running  along  the  right  bank  of  the  Rappahannock, 
he  remained  during  the  whole  winter  and  spring  of  1862-3, 
watching  the  lulls  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  lest  the 
enemy  should  make  a  sudden  advance,  and  at  the  same  time 
he  enjoyed  the  social  friendship  of  many  who  visited  him.  Nu 
merous  incidents  are  related  of  his  life  at  this  period,  but  we 
can  only  find  space  to  mention  one  or  two,  as  illustrating  the 
character  of  such  a  man. 

"  At  his  headquarters,"  says  the  pleasing  writer  we  have  so 
often  quoted  from,  "  might  be  seen  ornaments  of  the  most 
unique  and  surprising  description.  On  the  walls  of  the  apart 
ment  were  pictures  of  race-horses,  well  known  and  dear  in 
former  days  to  the  planters  of  the  neighboring  region.  Then 
there  was  a  portrait  of  some  celebrated  game-cock,  ready 
trimmed  and  gaffed  for  conflict  to  the  death.  A  companion- 
piece  of  these  was  the  picture  of  a  terrier  engaged  in  furious 
onslaught  upon  an  army  of  rats,  which  he  was  seizing,  tear 
ing,  and  shaking  to  death  -as  fast  as  they  came.  These  decora 
tions  of  headquarters  excited  the  merriment  of  the  general's 


GENERAL    TFIOMAS    JONATHAN    JACKSON.  191 

associates  ;  and  one  of  them  suggested  to  him  that  a  drawing 
of  the  apartment  should  be  made,  with  the  race-horses,  game 
cocks,  and  terrier  in  bold  relief,  the  picture  to  be  labelled, 
cAriew  of  the  winter-quarters  of  General  Stonewall  Jackson, 
presenting  an  insight  into  the  tastes  and  character  of  the  indi 
vidual.'  Hearty  laughter,  on  the  part  of  General  Jackson, 
greeted  this  jest  from  the  distinguished  brother  soldier  who  had 
stood  beside  him  upon  so  many  bloody  fields — whom  he  loved 
and  opened  his  whole  heart  to — and  to  whom,  when  struck 
down  by  the  fatal  ball  at  Chancellorsville,  his  mind  first  turned 
as  his  successor. 

"  The  children  of  the  house  and  in  the  neighborhood  will 
long  remember  the  kind  voice  and  smile  of  the  great  soldier — 
his  caresses  and  affectionate  ways.  A  new  military  cap  had 
been  sent  him  just  before  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  which 
was  resplendent  with  gold  braid  and  all  manner  of  decora 
tions.  Jackson  did  not  admire  this  fine  substitute  for  that  old, 
sun -scorched  head-covering  which  had  so  long  served  him  ; 
and  when,  one  day,  a  little  girl  was  standing  at  his  knee,  look 
ing  up  from  her  clustering  curls  at  the  kindly  general,  wThose 
hand  was  caressing  her  hair,  he  found  a  better  use  for  the  fine 
gold  braid  around  the  cap.  He  called  for  a  pair  of  scissors, 
ripped  it  off,  and  joining  the  ends,  placed  it  like  a  coronet 
upon  her  head,  with  smiles,  and  evident  admiration  at  the 
pretty  picture  thus  presented. 

"  These  are  trifles,  let.  us  agree,  good  reader,"  adds  the  au 
thor  who  narrates  them,  "but,  is  it  not  a  pleasant  spectacle  to 
see  the  great  soldier  amid  these  kindly  simple  scenes, — to 
watch  the  stern  and  indomitable  leader,  whose  soul  has  never 
shrunk  in  the  hour  of  deadliest  peril,  passing  happy  moments 
in  the  society  of  laughing  children  ?" 

It  was  during  the  time  of  his  resting  in  winter-quarters  that 
the  following  interesting  letter  was  written  : 

GUINNEY'S  DEPOT,  CAROLINE  COUNTY,  VA.,  ) 
Dec.  10,  1862.     f 

MY  DEAR  COLONEL — Yesterday  I  heard  that  Governor 
Letcher  and  yourself  were  coming  to  visit  the  army,  but  the 
arrival  of  the  cars  without  you  doomed  me  to  disappoint 
ment.  I  hope  you  will  come  before  long.  Please  give  my 


192  SOUTHERN    GIOSTKKALS. 

kindest  regards  to  the  governor,  and  remind  him  of  his  long 
standing  promise  to  visit  me.  Colonel  Lined!  says  he  heard 
distant  artillery,  and  others  agree  with  him.  The  direction  is 
towards  Port  Royal. 

I  have  heard  with  great  interest  the  reports  of  the  Congress 
ional  Committee,  recommending  the  repeal  of  the  law  requir 
ing  the  mails  to  be  carried  on  the  Sabbath,  and  I  hope  that 
you  will  feel  it  a  duty,  as  well  as  a  pleasure,  to  urge  its  repeal. 
I  do  not  see  how  a  nation  that  arrays  itself  by  such  a  law 
against  God's  holy  day  can  expect  to  escape  his  wrath.  The 
punishment  of  national  sins  must  be  confined  to  this  world,  as 
there  is  no  nationality  beyond  the  grave.  For  fifteen  years  I 
have  refused  to  mail  letters  on  Sunday,  or  to  take  them  out  of 
the  office  on  that  day,  except  since  I  came  into  the  field  ;  and 
so  far  from  having  to  regret  my  course,  it  has  been  a  source  of 
true  enjoyment.  I  have  never  sustained  loss  in  observing 
what  God  enjoins,  and  I  am  well  satisfied  that  the  law  should 
be  repealed  at  the  earliest  practicable  moment.  My  rule  is  to 
let  the  Sabbath  mails  remain  unopened,  unless  they  contain  a 
dispatch  ;  but  dispatches  are  generally  sent  by  couriers,  or  tel 
egraph,  or  by  some  special  messenger.  I  do  not  recollect  a 
single  instance  of  any  special  dispatch  having  reached  me, 
since  the  commencement  of  the  war,  by  the  mails.  If  you  de 
sire  to  repeal  the  law,  I  trust  that  you  will  bring  all  your  in 
fluence  to  bear  in  its  accomplishment.  Now  is  the  time,  it 
appears  to  me,  to  effect  so  desirable  an  object.  I  understand 
that  not  only  our  president,  but  also  most  of  our  colonels,  and 
a  majority  of  our  congressmen,  are  professing  Christians.  God 
has  greatly  blessed  us,  and  I  trust  He  will  make  us  that  people 
to  whom  God  is  the  Lord.  Let  us  look  to  God  for  an  illustra 
tion  in  our  history  that  righteousness  exalteth  a  nation,  but  sin 
is  a  reproach  to  any  people. 

Please  send  me  a  copy  of  the  staff  bill,  as  I  may  have  some 
thing  to  say  respecting  it  in  my  letter  to  Colonel  Miles. 

Yery  truly,  your  friend, 

T.  J.  JACKSON. 
Colonel  A.  R.  BOTELER,  Richmond,  Va 

In  March,  1863,  General  Jackson  moved  his  headquarters  to 
a  point  near  Hamilton's  crossing,  not  far  from  General  Lee ; 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.          193 

and,  soon  afterwards,  his  peaceful  quietude  was  broken  by  the 
notes  of  war.  On  the  17th  of  the  month  the  first  movements 
of  the  Federals  took  place,  bv  Hooker  sending  General  Averill 

J.  J         ti  CD 

on  an  extensive  raid  in  the  direction  of  Gordonsville.  But,  it 
was  not  until  the  end  of  the  month  of  April,  when  the  Union 
forces  had  crossed  the  Ilappahannock  with  a  view  of  flanking 
Lee,  that  Jackson's  active  services  were  again  in  request.  As 
we  have  seen  in  the  account  of  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville 
(page  90),  Jackson  was  ordered,  on  Thursday  evening,  the  29th, 
to  leave  one  division  of  his  corps  in  front  of  the  enemy  at 
Fredericksburg,  and  proceed  towards  the  field  of  action.  His 
after  movements  we  have  already  recorded, — how,  after  a  con 
sultation  with  General  Lee.  he  attempted  a  flank  movement 
on  the  enemy's  right,  stationed  at  the  Wilderness,  and  how 
successfully  it  was  executed.  We  have  also  hurriedly  men 
tioned  that  it  was  on  the  evening  of  that  first  day's  engage 
ment  he  met  his  death-wound.  But  it  is  now  our  province  to 
go  into  a  few  details  explaining  this  mournful  occurrence. 

It  was  during  the  latter  part  of  the  day.  May  2d,  when  the 
Federals  were  hurriedly  retreating  before  Jackson's  impetuous 
charge,  that  he  directed  certain  movements  to  be  made  in  the 
front,  and  then,  being  anxious  to  personally  see  them  executed, 
he  rode  forward  with  his  staff  to  the  advanced  line  of  skir 
mishers.  The  field  of  battle  was,  as  we  have  before  stated, 
amidst  much  of  the  thick  scrub  and  wood  of  the  "  Wilderness," 
and  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  Jackson's  party  could 
proceed.  They  arrived,  however,  at  the  front,  and,  as  night 
had  now  approached,  Jackson,  desirous  of  seeing  more  of  the 
enemy's  movements,  rode  on  some  distance  ahead  of  his  skir 
mishers,  exposing  himself  to  a  dangerous  fire  from  the  enemy's 
sharpshooters  posted  in  the  timber.  "  So  great  was  the  danger, 
that  one  of  his  staff  said,  'General,  don't  you  think  this  is  the 
wrong  place  for  you  ?'  He  replied  quickly  :  l  The  danger  is 
all  over;  the  enemy  is  routed.  Go  back  and  tell  A.  P.  Hill  to 
press  right  on !' ':  Soon  after  this  order,  General  Jackson 
turned,  and,  accompanied  by  his  staff  and  escort,  rode  back  at 
a  trot,  on  his  well-known  "Old  Sorrel,"  towards  his  own  men. 
Unhappily,  in  the  darkness — it  was  now  nine  or  ten  o'clock  at 
night — the  little  body  of  horsemen  was  mistaken  for  Federal 
cavalry  charging,  and  the  regiments  on  the  right  and  left  of 

13 


SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

the  road  fired  a  sudden  volley  into  them  with  the  most  la 
mentable  results.  Jackson  was  struck  by  three  balls,  one 
through  the  left  arm,  two  inches  belowr  the  shoulder-joint, 
shattering  the  bone  and  severing  the  chief  artery  ;  another 
ball  passed  through  the  same  arm  between  the  elbow  and 
wrist,  making  its  exit  through  the  palm  of  the  hand  ;  a  third 
ball  entered  the  palm  of  the  right  hand  about  its  middle,  pass 
ing  through,  and  breaking  two  bones.  He  was  wounded  on 
the  plank-road,  about  fifty  yards  in  advance.  Captain  Boswell, 
of  Jacks-on's  staff,  was  killed,  and  borne  back  into  the  Confed 
erate  lines  by  his  own  horse.  Colonel  Crutchfield,  chief  of 
artillery,  was  wounded  by  his  side;  and  two  couriers  were 
killed.  Major  Pendleton,  Lieutenants  Morrison  and  Smith, 
escaped  uninjured.  As  Jackson  fell  from  his  horse,  he  was 
caught  by  Captain  Wormley,  to  whom  he  remarked,  "  All  my 
wounds  are  by  my  own  men."  He  had  previously  given 
orders  to  fire  at  any  thing  coming  up  the  road,  and  probably 
had  forgotten,  in  his  more  important  thoughts,  to  notify  his 
own  movements. 

Jackson  was  at  once  placed  upon  a  litter,  and  started  for  the 
rear;  but,  now,  the  firing  had  attracted  the  enemy's  attention, 
wrho  responded  and  made  a  slight  advance.  The  consequence 
was  that  one  of  the  litter  bearers  was  shot  down,  and  the 
General  fell  from  the  shoulders  of  the  men,  receiving  a  severe 
contusion,  adding  to  the  injury  of  the  arm,  and  hurting  his 
side  severely.  At  the  same  time,  the  Federals  charging,  they 
actually  passed  over  his  body,  with  a  heavy  fire  going  on  from 
both  sides,  and,  for  about  five  minutes,  he  was  left  thus,  until 
the  enemy  had  been  driven  back.  An  ambulance  was  then  ob 
tained,  and  he  was  immediately  carried  to  the  field  hospital  at 
"Wilderness  Run.  There  he  was  promptly  attended  by  the 
army  surgeons,  but  he  had  already  lost  so  large  an  amount  of 
blood,  that  for  two  hours  he  was  nearly  pulseless,  and  thought 
he  was  dying.  A  consultation  immediately  took  place,  and 
amputation  was  decided  upon.  The  operation  was  performed 
under  the  influence  of  chloroform,  and  was  borne  well.  But 
he  expressed  an  earnest  desire  that  his  troops  should  not  know 
he  was  wounded,  and,  while  he  was  being  carried  from  the 
field,  hearing  the  soldiers  ask,  "Who  have  }7ou  there?"  he 
told  the  doctor  not  to  tell  them.  In  moments  of  relief  he  ex- 


GENERAL  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON.          195 

pressed  anxiety  concerning  the  battle,  and  movements  of  his 
corps,  with  a  desire  that  General  G.  H.  Stuart  (Hill  and  Kodes 
being  wounded)  should  command.  After  amputation,  Jack 
son  slept  well  through  the  night,  and  when  he  awoke  requested 
that  his  wife  should  at  once  be  sent  for.  He  spoke  of  the 
attack  which  had  been  made  on  the  previous  evening,  and  felt 
confident  of  victory.  A  note  now  came  from  General  Lee, 
expressing  deep  regret  at  the  misfortune.  The  contents  were: 
"I  have  just  received  your  note  informing  me  that  you  were 
wounded.  I  cannot  express  my  regret  at  the  occurrence. 
Could  I  have  directed  events,  I  should  have  chosen,  for  the 
good  of  the  country,  to  have  been  disabled  in  your  stead.  I 
congratulate  you  on  the  victory  which  is  due  to  your  skill  and 
energy." 

Sunday  evening  he  slept  well  ;  and  on  Monday  he  was 
carried  to  Chancellor's  house,  near  Guinney's  depot.  lie  was 
cheerful,  and  talked  about  the  battle,  asking  after  all  his  offi 
cers,  and  especially  about  the  "Stonewall  Brigade."  On 
Monday  night  he  rested  well,  and  next  morning  ate  with  a 
relish.  On  Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  his  wounds  were  doing 
very  well.  On  Thursday,  he  suffered  some  pain  ;  but  now,  to 
his  great  joy,  Mrs.  Jackson  had  arrived,  and  she  assiduously 
nursed  him  to  the  end.  But,  from  the  following  da}7,  he  grad 
ually  sunk.  On  Sunday  morning,  a  week  from  the  night 
of  his  being  wounded,  it  was  evident  he  had  only  a  few 
hours  more  to  live.  Mrs.  Jackson  told  him  so,  and  in  that 
tender  and  sacred  converse  between  man  and  wife,  which,  at 
such  times  of  extreme  sadness,  becomes  more  hallowed  than 
ever,  he  said:  "Very  good!  Yery  good!  It  is  all  right!" 
He  then  sent  messages  to  all  his  friends,  the  generals  and 
others,  and  murmured  in  a  low  voice  his  wish  to  be  buried  at 
"  Lexington,  in  the  valley  of  Virginia."  His  mind  then  began 
to  wander,  and  he  issued  various  orders  to  his  officers, — among 
the  last,  being,  "A.  P.  Hill,  prepare  for  action  !"  After  this, 
lie  speedily  sank,  and  at  a  quarter  past  3  p.  M.,  Sunday,  May 
10th,  he  breathed  his  last,  surrounded  by  weeping  friends. 

Immediately  upon  his  death  being  made  known,  General 
Lee  issued  the  following  official  announcement  to  his  army  : 


196  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 


GENERAL  ORDERS— No.  61. 

HEADQUARTERS,  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA,  May  11, 18G3. 
With  deep  grief,  the  commanding  general  announces  to  the 
army  the  death  of  Lieutenant-general  T.  J.  Jackson,  who  ex 
pired  on  the  10th  instant,  at  quarter  past  3  p.  M.  The  daring, 
skill,  and  energy  of  this  great  and  good  soldier,  by  an  all-wise 
Providence,  are  now  lost  to  us.  But  while  we  mourn  his 
death,  we  feel  that  his  spirit  still  lives,  and  will  inspire  the 
whole  army  with  his  indomitable  courage,  and  unshaken  con 
fidence  in  God  as  our  hope  and  strength.  Let  his  name  be  a 
watchword  to  his  corps,  who  have  followed  him  to  victory  on 
so  many  fields.  Let  the  officers  and  soldiers  imitate  his  invin 
cible  determination  to  do  every  thing  in  the  defence  of  our 

beloved  country. 

R.  E.  LEE,  General. 

The  body  of  General  Jackson,  embalmed,  was  conveyed  to 
Richmond,  where  a  great  and  solemn  pageant  marked  the 
universal  sense  of  loss.  Laid  in  state,  in  the  governor's  recep 
tion-room,  the  dead  hero  was  visited  by  thousands,  tender 
women  covering  the  pall  with  bouquets  of  flowers  and  wreaths; 
and  when  borne  to  the  hall  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
the  ceremony  was  grand  in  the  extreme.  Besides  special  regi 
ments  appointed  to  attend,  there  were  members  of  his  old 
brigade,  the  President  of  the  Confederate  States,  members  of 

O  '  ' 

the  Cabinet,  Generals  Longstreet,  Elzey,  Garnett,  and  others, 
with  Commodore  Forrest,  representing  the  navy,  and  the 
judges,  citizens,  and  an  immense  concourse  of  persons,  follow 
ing  in  the  train, — the  general's  old  horse,  caparisoned  for  bat 
tle,  being  led  by  a  groom.  Truly  it  was  a  grand,  though 
mournful  spectacle,  and  well  might  the  Southern  press,  under 
such  feelings,  exclaim  :  "  It  would  have  been  better  for  us  to 
have  lost  a  thousand  ordinary  men,  than  one  '  Stonewall' 
Jackson !" 

The  honors  bestowed  upon  Jackson's  remains  were  of  no 
common  kind.  During  the  great  procession,  his  cold  corse 
was  carried  by  some  of  the  bravest  and  most  eminent  military 
and  naval  commanders  of  his  own  South.  Ewell,  Winder, 
Corse,  Kemper,  Elzey,  Forrest,  Garnett,  and  Stuart — the  chiv- 


GENERAL    THOMAS    JONATHAN    JACK3OX.  197 

alrotis,  bold,  and  dashing  Stuart — were  the  pall-b carers ;  and 
when  the  body  was  sent  to  its  last  resting-place  at  Lexington, 
Governor  Leteher  himself  attended  it  thither.  Previous  to  its 
arrival,  and  shortly  after  his  death,  the  superintendent  of  the 
Virginia  Military  Institute, — the  same  General  F.  II.  Smith 
who,  eleven  years  before,  had  submitted  his  name  to  the  Board 
of  Visitors  for  the  vacant  professor's  chair, — officially  an 
nounced  the  painful  circumstance  to  the  cadets,  in  a  general 
order,  embodying  a  brief  resume  of  his  valuable  services,  and 
passing  a  high  eulogy  on  his  character.  "The  military  career 
of  General  Jackson,"  said  the  superintendent,  "fills  the  most 
brilliant  and  momentous  page  in  the  history  of  our  country, 
and  in  the  achievements  of  our  arms,  and  he  stands  forth  a 
colossal  figure  in  this  war  for  our  independence.  His  country 
now  returns  him  to  us — not  as  he  was  when  he  left  us.  His 
spirit  has  gone  to  God,  who  gave  it.  His  mutilated  body 
comes  back  to  us — to  his  home — to  be  laid  by  us  in  his  tomb. 
Reverently  and  affectionately  we  will  discharge  this  last 
solemn  duty.  And, 

"  Though  his  earthly  sun  has  set, 
Its  light  shall  linger  round  us  yet, 
Bright — radiant — blest !" 

When  his  remains  arrived  from  Richmond,  equally  high 
was  the  honor  shown  to  them  at  Lexington.  The  cadets' 
battery,  which  he  had  so  long  commanded,  fired  half  hour 
guns,  from  sunrise  to  sunset ;  the  flag  of  the  State  and  the 
Confederacy  was  hung  at  half-mast;  his  lecture-room  was 
draped  in  mourning,  to  remain  so  for  six  months ;  and  the 
officers  and  cadets  of  the  Institute  wore  the  usual  badge  of 
mourning  for  thirty  days. 

The  journals  report  that  some  loving  hand  planted  on  his 
grave  a  piece  of  laurel  brought  from  the  tomb  of  Xapoleon  at 
St.  Helena ;  and  it  has  been  said  by  an  intelligent  Union 
chaplain,  that  "if  any  man  whom  this  war  has  developed  re 
sembled  Napoleon,  it  was  Stonewall  Jackson."  In  this  remark 
there  is  some  reason,  says  a  writer  in  the  Tribune.  "Like 
IN  apoleon,  Jackson  had  daring,  originality ;  and  like  him,  lie 
taught  his  enemy  that  if  they  would  beat  him,  they  must  imi 
tate  him."  But,  by  many  competent  judges,  quite  a  different 


SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

estimate  is  held.  The  character  of  Jackson  being  considered 
more  assimilated  with  that  of  the  stern  Puritans  or  Covenant 
ers  ;  not — even  in  a  military  point  of  view — with  such  a  unique 
and  master  mind  as  Napoleon's.  However,  the  Southern  gen 
eral  has  and  will  have  many  great  admirers,  who  almost  deify 
him,  through  the  deserved  respect  and  admiration  his  country 
men  have  evinced  towards  such  a  brave  and  Christian  man,  as 
well  as  patriotic  soldier. 


GENERAL  PETER  G.  TOUTANT  BEAUREGARD. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Excitement  at  Charleston. — Bombardment  of  Sumter.— Beauregard. — Fall  of  Sum- 
ter. — Major  K.  Anderson  and  his  Heroic  Band.—  Beauregard's  Parentage  and  Early 
Life. — Career  in  Mexico. — Promotions. — Resigns — Appointment  in  Confederate  Ser 
vice. — Assumes  Command. — Official  Correspondence  Respecting  Sumter. — Beaure- 
gard's  Report  of  the  Fall  of  Sumter. — Incidents  Connected  with  the  Taking  of  Sum- 
ter. — Russell's  Sketch  of  Beauregard. — Flag-staff  of  Sumter. — Beauregard's  Adieu 
to  Charleston,  and  Assumption  of  Command  at  Manassas. — Military  Position  and 
Topographical  Features. — Characteristics  of  Beauregard. — Engagement  of  Blackburn's 
Ford. — Battle  of  Bull  Run. — Letter  to  Beauregard  from  Colonel  Cameron's  Sifter. — • 
Reasons  Why  no  Advance  was  made  on  Washington. — Prince  Napoleon's  Visit. — 
General  Evans  and  the  Battle  of  Leesburg. — Beauregard  and  President  Davis. — 
His  Transfer  to  the  Mississippi  Department. 

SHORTLY  after  four  o'clock  in  the  dull  gray  of  the  morning 
of  Friday,  April  12th,  1861,  unusual  signs  of  excitement  and 
agitation  were  seen  among  the  citizens  and  residents  of  Charles 
ton,  South  Carolina.  Though  at  an  hour  when  very  few  per 
sons,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  are  astir,  and  though  the 
day  was  hazy  and  moist,  yet  every  house  appeared  to  be  emp 
tying  its  occupants  and  sending  a  living  stream  through  all 
the  streets  leading  to  the  wharves  and  battery.  Not  men, 
alone,  but  ladies  of  all  ranks  and  grades,  wended  their  way 
eagerly  to  the  point  of  attraction.  No  gala-day  had  before 
witnessed  so  large  a  number  of  the  fair  sex  gracing  that  public 
promenade;  nor  had  any  previous  occasion  awakened  in  their 
breasts  so  much  anxiety,  hope,  and  fear.  "With  palpitating 
hearts  and  pallid  faces,  the  more  tender  portion  of  that  excited 
people  stood  facing  the  sea,  watching  tiny  wreaths  of  white 
smoke  curling  upwards,  in  the  soft  twilight,  from  one  point  of 
view  on  the  right,  and  quickly  afterwards  from  another  on  the 
left,  at  James  and  Sullivan  islands.  Soon  a  dull,  heavy  sound 
fell  upon  the  ear.  Then  came  the  whiz  and  the  whirl  of  fiery 
implements  of  destruction;  and,  anon,  the  fury  of  a  terrible 
cannonading,  directed  towards  one  solitary  spot  situated  in 


200  SOUTHERN    GKNKKALS. 

the  bay,  which,  to  the  amazement  of  all,  appeared  as  quiet  as 
though  death  already  tenanted  it.  For  more  than  an  hour  no 
answering  note  replied. to  the  iron  messengers  of  slaughter 
hurled  at  it ;  but  as  daylight  fully  revealed  the  scene,  the  excited 
gazers  on  the  battery  promenade  beheld,  floating  to  the  morn 
ing  breeze  from  that  one  spot,  which  showed  itself  to  be  a 
fortress  of  great  strength  and  importance,  a  large  banner,  ele 
vated  proudly  aloft,  and  displaying  on  its  folds  the  stars  and 
stripes  of  the  United  States!  Silence  reigned  around  it,  ex 
cept  in  the  battering  it  now  received  on  either  side  from  the 
assault.  Another  hour  passed,  and  yet  no  answer  came  to  the 
attack  without;  so  that  those  who  watched,  began  to  augur 
results  favorable  to  their  own  wishes,  and  to  say  that  the  ten 
ants  of  that  fort  were  going  to  yield.  But  they  were  mistaken. 
They  knew  not  the  character  of  those  brave  men — absolutely 
alone  amidst  surrounding  foes,  yet  heroically  bent  on  doing 
their  duty,  as  true  soldiers  and  loyal  men,  to  the  flag  they 
served,  and  whose  folds  waved  over  them.  They  fancied  that 
these  men  were  about  to  succumb,  without  one  note  of  fierce 
reply  in  honor  of  their  name  and  country's  reputation.  But, 
not  so.  At  half-past  six,  and  while  the  spectators'  on  the 
Charleston  battery  still  looked  on  with  varied  emotions,  sud 
denly,  from  casemate  and  parapet  of  that  solitary  fort,  there 
darted  forth  sharp  sheets  of  flame,  and  a  storm  of  iron  hail 
went  hissing  forward,  in  the  direction  of  the  assailing  foe ! 
The  scene  of  carnage  had,  at  last,  begun,  and  the  angry  pieces 
of  war  on  both  sides  were  now  dealing  what  destruction  they 
could  upon  the  opposite  party.  The  atmosphere  soon  became 
charged  with  the  smell  of  burnt  powder,  and  the  sky  clouded, 
not  only  by  the  natural  gloomy  aspect  of  the  day,  but  also 
by  the  smoke  of  the  numerous  guns  now  at  work  in  deadly 
conflict. 

Standing  near  one  of  these  guns  is  General  Beauregard,  ap 
parently  in  the  prime  of  vigorous  manhood,  and  having  an  emi 
nently  martial  bearing.  Spirit  and  determination  may  be  seen 
in  his  glance,  and  a  clearness  of  perception  beyond  that  of  ordi 
nary  men.  Directing  the  heavy  firing  now  going  on  against 
that  solitary  fort,  and  surrounded  by  members  of  his  staff,  he 
sends  forth  various  orders  in  terse,  abrupt  tones,  in  the  lan 
guage  of  a  man  well  used  to,  and  fitted  for  command.  Called 


GENERAL    PETER    GUSTAVE    TOUTANT    EKAUREGARD.  201 

to  the  high  and  important  post  of  General-in-chief  of  the  Pro 
visional  Army  of  the  State,  and,  feeling  the  great  responsibility 
attached  to  his  position  at  that  serious  moment,  when  the  first 
gun  of  open  opposition  to  Federal  power  was  fired,  he  could 
not  be  otherwise  than  keenly  alive  to  the  necessity  for  exer 
cising  every  faculty  of  his  experienced  mind  in  the  part 
he  was  now  enacting.  A  few  hours  more — a  day  of  gal 
lant  defence  on  the  side  of  those  heroic  men  in  that 
solitary  furt — and  Beauregard  was  the  victor  over  Sumter 
fallen  ! 

We  have  no  space  here  to  give  all  the  details  of  the  attack 
on  Fort  Sumter,  its  sturdy  defence  by  the  brave  Anderson 
and  his  comrades,  and  its  ultimate  surrender,  when  it  was  im 
possible  to  hold  it  longer  under  such  an  overwhelming  fire. 
Our  task  now,  must  be  merely  to  sketch  the  career  of  him  who 
was  destined  to  be  the  first  military  chief  in  active  arms 
against  the  Government  of  the  United  States. 

Beauregard  was  born  on  his  father's  plantation,  in  the  Parish 
of  St.  Martin,  Louisiana,  in  the  year  1816.  His  great  grand 
father  sprang  from  a  noble  family  in  France,  which  emigrated 
to  this  country  during  the  reign  of  Louis  XV.,  and  settled  in 
Louisiana.  The  name  of  the  family  was  Toutant  de  Beaure 
gard,  until  James,  the  father  of  Pierre  Gustave,  threw  off  the 
titular  portion  of  it,  for  the  reason,  as  some  say,  that  it  was 
repugnant  to  the  old  gentleman's  republican  tastes,  or,  as  oth 
ers  state,  that  the  name  was  often  confounded  with  that  of  an 
other  family  of  Beauregards  in  his  immediate  neighborhood. 
From  that  time  the  family  name  has  been  simply  Toutant, — no 
one  but  the  subject  of  the  present  sketch  having  since  used  the 
original  surname  of  Beauregard.  There  is,  however,  still  an 
other  explanation  of  this  change  of  name.  It  is  said,  by  a 
writer  in  a  New  York  paper,  that  "  the  family  had  an  estate 
called  Beauregard,  and  the  elder  Toutant — which  was  the  right 
ful  name — had  been  in  the  habit  of  siiminsr  himself  Toutant 

O  O 

of  Beauregard.  Thus,  when  he  made  an  application  to  the 
member  of  Congress  from  the  district  in  which  he  resided  in 
Louisiana,  for  a  cadetship  at  West  Point  for  his  young  son,  he 
signed  himself  in  this  way — Toutant  de  Beauregard — and  the 
assumed  title  was  taken  for  the  surname.  The  appointment 
for  the  lad  was  therefore  made  out  for  Pierre  G.  T.  Beauregard, 


202  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

and  the  name  was  retained  from  a  little  vanity,  perhaps,  in  its 
sonorous  quality.  Beauregard,  however,  is  still  known  among 
his  relations  in  Louisiana  as  Pierre  Toutant." 

James  Toutant,  the  father,  intermarried  with  Ilelene  Reggio, 
whose  earliest  American  ancestor  came  to  this  country  about 
the  time  of  the  Beauregards.  The  family  of  Eeggio  is  also 
of  noble  origin,  being  an  Italian  branch  of  the  House  of 
Este.  The  fruit  of  this  marriage  was  three  sons,  of  whom 
Peter  Gustave  is  the  second,  and  three  daughters,  married 
respectively  to  Mortimer  Belly,  Esq.,  of  New  Orleans,  K  S. 
Proctor,  Esq.,  of  St.  Bernard,  and  M.  Legendre,  of  New  York. 

Pierre  Gustave  Beauregard  entered  West  Point  as  a  cadet,  in 
1834,  and  graduated  June  30th,  1838,  taking  the  second  honors 
in  a  class  of  forty-five  graduates.  He  was  then  appointed 
second-lieutenant  in  the  First  Regiment  of  artillery,  which 
commission  he  only  held  for  one  week,  being  transferred  to  the 
corps  of  Engineers  on  July  7th.  On  June  16th,  1839,  he  was 
promoted  to  a  first-lieutenancy,  and  in  that  capacity  served 
with  great  distinction  during  the  Mexican  War.  Of  the  sev 
eral  incidents  wherein  he  made  himself  conspicuous,  we  have 
but  to  refer  to  General  Scott's  official  reports,  and  his  Autobi 
ography,  for  ample  testimony  to  the  merits  of  the  brave  young 
officer.  But  the  following  illustrations  of  his  career  at  that 
period  deserve  to  be  especially  mentioned.  The  first  occurred 
before  Yera  Cruz,  as  follows  : 

Lieutenant  Beauregard  was  sent  out  by  his  colonel  with  a 
party  of  sappers  to  dig  and  prepare  a  trench,  according  to  a 
profile  and  plan  made  by  the  colonel.  No  sooner  had  Beaure 
gard  examined  the  ground,  than  he  discovered  great  objections 
to  the  plan.  To  assure  himself,  he  climbed  into  a  tree,  and 
with  the  aid  of  the  marine  glass,  the  engineer's  vade  mcGurn,  he 
made  a  reconnoissance,  and  saw  plainly  that  the  trench,  as 
planned,  would  be  enfiladed  by  the  enemy's  cannon.  Here 
was  a  difficult  position  for  a  subaltern  ministerial  officer.  He 
decided  promptly,  and  returned  to  headquarters  without  stick 
ing  a  spade.  The  colonel  met  him,  and  expressed  surprise  that 
he  had  so  soon  performed  his  task.  Beauregard  replied  that  he 
had  not  touched  it.  The  colonel,  with  the  astonishment  mili 
tary  men  feel  in  hearing  their  orders  have  not  been  obeyed,  in 
quired  the  reason.  He  was  soon  informed  of  it.  He  was  in- 


GENERAL  PETER  GU STAVE  TOUTANT  BEAUREGARD.     203 

credulous  ;  "  the  ground  had  been  examined  ;"  "  the  reconnois- 
sance  was  perfect,"  etc.  The  young  lieutenant  was  satisfied, 
however,  that  the  reconnoissance  of  his  old  chief  had  not  been 
made  like  his,  "from  up  in  a  tree."  The  colonel,  like  a  sensi 
ble  man,  concluded  to  make  another  examination  :  the  plan 
was  changed  in  accordance  with  the  young  lieutenant's  views. 
The  work  done  from  these  trenches  is  matter  of  history,  but  its 
pages  nowhere  inform  us  to  whom  the  credit  is  due. 

A  second  incident  occurred  before  the  city  of  Mexico.  A 
night  or  two  before  the  attack,  a  council  of  war  was  held. 
There  were  assembled  all  the  great  folks,  from  Lieutenant-gen 
eral  Scott,  Worth,  Twiggs,  etc.,  down  to  our  friend  Beauregard, 
the  youngest  officer  in  the  room.  The  debate  went  on  for  hours. 
Scott  was  solitary  in  his  opinion.  Every  other  officer  present, 
except  one,  had  spoken,  and  all  concurred  in  their  views.  The 
silent  one  was  Beauregard.  At  last  General  Pierce  crossed 
over  and  said,  "  You  have  not  expressed  an  opinion."  "  I  have 
not  been  called  on,"  said  Beauregard.  "You  shall  be,  how 
ever,"  said  Pierce  ;  and  soon  resuming  his  seat,  announced 
that  Lieutenant  Beauregard  had  not  given  his  opinion.  Being 
then  called  out,  he  remarked,  that  if  the  plan  which  had  re 
ceived  the  consent  of  all  but  the  commanding  general  was  car 
ried  into  effect,  it  would  prove  disastrous.  It  would  be  another 
Churubusco  affair.  He  then  detailed  the  objections  to  it  at 
length  ;  and  taking  np  the  other,  urged  the  reasons  in  its  favor, 
with  equal  earnestness.  The  council  reversed  their  decision. 
The  city  of  Mexico  was  entered  according  to  the  plan  urged 
by  the  young  lieutenant ;  and  it  would  seem  that  his  reasons 
influenced  the  decision.  A  few  days  afterwards  General  Scott, 
in  the  presence  of  a  number  of  principal  officers,  alluded  to 
Lieutenant  Beauregard M  opinion  at  the  council,  and  the  con 
sequences  which  had  followed  from  it. 

On  August  20th,  1847,  Beauregard  was  brevetted  captain, 
for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  in  the  battles  of  Con- 
treras  and  Churubusco  ;  and  again  as  major,  for  the  battle  of 
Chapultepec,  to  date  from  September  13th,  1847.  At  the 
Belen  gate,  Mexico,  he  was  wounded  ;f  and,  afterwards,  upon 
his  return  home,  he  was  presented  with  an  elegant  sword. 
Subsequently  he  was  placed  by  the  Government  in  charge  of 
the  construction  of  the  Mint  and  Custom-house  at  New  Or- 


20:1  SOUTHERN    GKSERALS. 

leans,  as  well  as  of  the  fortifications  on  and  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1861.  Major  Beauregard  was 
appointed  superintendent  of  West  Point  Military  Academy, 
"  but  was  relieved  by  President  Buchanan  within  forty-eight 
hours,  as  a  rebuke,  it  is  alleged,  to  the  secession  speech  of 
Senator  Slidell,  who  is  a  brother-in-law  of  Beauregard." 
Subsequently  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  service 
of  the  United  States,  and  was  appointed  by  Governor  Moore, 
of  Louisiana,  Colonel  of  Engineers  in  the  Provisional  Army  of 
the  South.  Soon  afterwards,  he  was  made  Brigadier-general 
in  the  forces  of  his  native  State,  which  appointment  was  con 
firmed  by  President  Davis,  on  March  3d,  with  official  direc 
tions  to  proceed  to  Charleston  and  assume  command  of  all  the 
troops  in  actual  service  in  and  around  that  place. 

On  arriving  there,  he  immediately  examined  the  fortifica 
tions,  and  put  the  city  and  defences  in  military  array.  Fort 
Sumter,  at  that  time,  was  garrisoned  by  Major  Anderson,  of 
the  regular  army,  and  a  force  of  officers  and  men  ;  and  it  was 
hoped,  by  the  State  Convention  of  South  Carolina,  that  it 
would  be  surrendered  to  the  South  without  compulsion.  But, 
every  effort  to  induce  such  a  course  failed.  The  Federal 
commander  could  not  and  would  not  yield,  while  a  shadow  of 
hope  remained  of  being  able  to  hold  out.  That  hope  much 
depended  upon  receiving  supplies  from  the  government  at 
Washington.  Without  those  supplies  the  heroic  little  garrison 
could  not  exist,  for  all  communication  between  Sumter  and  the 
city  of  Charleston  was,  on  the  7th  of  April,  cut  off.  Pre 
viously,  the  wants  of  the  garrison  had  been  supplied  through 
the  city,  but  now  the  time  had  come  when  General  Beauregard 
and  the  authorities  deemed  it  necessary  to  stop  all  further 
intercourse,  except  of  a  purely  military  character  as  between 
belligerents.  Thus,  Major  Anderson  had  to  look  to  Washing 
ton  for  immediate  relief,  sending  a  special  messenger  thither, 
stating  his  condition,  and  asking  for  official  instructions  what 
to  do.  Neither  the  relief,  nor  the  instructions,  however,  came 
until  too  late,  though  notice  had  been  sent  the  8th  of  April,  by ; 
an  envoy  from  President  Lincoln  to  Governor  Pickens  and 
General  Beauregard,  that  "  provisions  would  be  forwarded  to 
Fort  Sumter  peaceably,  or  otherwise  by  force." 


GENERAL    PETEK    GUSTAVE    TOUT A NT    BEAU REGARD.  205 

The  message  of  President  Lincoln  was  immediately  tele 
graphed  by  Beauregard  to  the  Confederate  War  Department 
at  Montgomery,  and  the  following  reply  came  back : 

"If  you  have  no  doubt  of  the  authorized  character  of  the 
agent  who  communicated  to  you  the  intention  of  the  Washing- 
tun  government  to  supply  Fort  Sumter  by  force,  you  will  at 
once  demand  its  evacuation,  and  if  this  is  refused,  proceed,  in 
such  manner  as  you  may  determine,  to  reduce  it." 

To  this,  Beauregard  responded  :  "The  demand  will  be  made 
to-morrow  at  twelve  o'clock.''  Whereupon,  Secretary  Walker 
again  telegraphed  :  "  Unless  there  are  especial  reasons  con 
nected  with  your  own  condition,  it  is  considered  proper  that 
you  should  make  the  demand  at  an  earlier  hour."  Beaure 
gard  replied  :  "  The  reasons  are  special  for  twelve  o'clock." 

This  correspondence  was  on  the  10th  of  April,  and  on  the 
following  day,  Thursday,  April  llth,  at  2.20  p.  M.,  General 
Beauregard  sent  two  of  his  aids  with  a  communication  to 
Major  Anderson,  demanding  the  evacuation,  with  an  offer  to 
transport  himself  and  command  to  any  port  in  the  United 
States  he  might  select,  to  allow  him  to  move  out  of  the  fort 
with  company  arms  and  property,  and  all  private  property, 
and  to  salute  his  flag  on  lowering  it.  To  this  communication 
Major  Anderson  refused  to  accede,  but,  as  the  messengers 
were  leaving,  he  remarked,  that  if  the  fort  was  not  battered  to 

o~ 

pieces,  he  would  be  starved  out  in  a  few  days. 

At  5.10  P.  M.  Beauregard  received  Anderson's  answer,  which, 
in  writing,  was  as  follows  : 

HEADQUARTERS,  FORT  SUMTER,  S.  C.,  April  llth,  1861 
GENERAL — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  communication,  demanding  the  evacuation  of  this  fort; 
and  to  say  in  reply  thereto,  that  it  is  a  demand  with  which  I 
regret  that  my  sense  of  honor  and  my  obligations  to  my  Gov 
ernment  prevent  my  compliance. 

Thanking  you  for  the  fair,  manly,  and  courteous  terms  pro 
posed,  and  for  the  high  compliment  paid  me, 
I  am,  General,  very  respectfully 

Your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)  ROBERT  ANDERSON, 

Major  United  States  Army,  commanding. 
To  Brigadier-general  G.  T.  BEAUREGARD, 

Commanding  Provisional  Army,  C.  S.  A. 


206  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

This  was  telegraphed  to  Montgomery,  and  the  following 
communication  received  at  9.10  p.  M.  in  reply  : 

MONTGOMERY,  April  llth,  1861. 
To  GENERAL  BEAUREGARD: 

Sir — "We  do  not  desire  needlessly  to  bombard  Fort  Sumter. 
If  Major  Anderson  will  state  the  time  at  which,  as  indicated 
by  him,  he  will  evacuate  (be  starved  out),  and  agree  that  in 
the  mean  time  he  will  not  use  his  guns  against  us,  unless  arms 
should  be  employed  against  Fort  Sumter,  you  are  authorized 
thus  to  avoid  the  effusion  of  blood.  If  this  or  its  equivalent 
be  refused,  you  will  reduce  the  fort  as  your  judgment  decides 
to  be  the  most  practicable. 

(Signed)  L.  P.  WALKER. 

At  11  P.  M.  Beauregard  sent  his  aids  with  another  letter  to 
Major  Anderson,  based  upon  the  instructions  he  had  received. 
The  contents  of  the  letter  ran  thus : 

HEADQUARTERS  PROVISIONAL  ARMY  C.  S.  A., ) 
Charleston,  April  11,  1801—11  p.  M.         j 

MAJOR — In  consequence  of  the  verbal  observations  made  by 
you  to  my  aides,  Messrs.  Chesnut  and  Lee,  in  relation  to  the 
condition  of  your  supplies,  and  that  you  would,  in  a  few  days, 
be  starved  out  if  our  guns  did  not  batter  you  to  pieces — or 
words  to  that  effect — and  desiring  no  useless  effusion  of  blood, 
I  communicated  both  the  verbal  observation  and  your  written 
answer  in  my  communication  to  my  Government. 

If  you  will  state  the  time  at  which  you  will  evacuate  Fort 
Sumter,  and  agree  that,  in  the  mean  while,  you  will  not  use 
your  guns  against  us,  unless  ours  shall  be  employed  against 
Fort  Sumter,  we  will  abstain  from  opening  fire  upon  you. 
Colonel  Chesnut  and  Captain  Lee  are  authorized  by  me  to 
enter  into  such  an  agreement  with  you.  You  are  therefore 
requested  to  communicate  to  them  an  open  answer. 
I  remain,  Major,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 
(Signed)  P.  GK  T.  BEAUREGARD, 

Brigadier-general,  commanding. 
To  Major  ROBERT  ANDERSON, 

Commanding  at  Fort  Sumter,  Charleston  Harbor,  S.  C. 


GENERAL    1'ETER    GUSTAVE    TOTJTANT    BKAUREGARD.  207 

At  forty-five  minutes  past  midnight.  Major  Anderson  had 
tin's  letter  placed  in  his  hands,  and,  after  consultation  with  his 
officers,  at  half-past  two  in  the  morning,  April  12th,  he  returned 
the  following  reply  : 

GKXKRAL — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  second  communication  of  the  llth  instant,  by  Colonel 
Chesnut,  and  to  state,  in  reply,,  that  cordially  uniting  with  you 
in  the  desire  to  avoid  the  useless  effusion  of  blood,  I  will,  if 
provided  with  the  proper  and  necessary  means  of  transporta 
tion,  evacuate  Fort  Suinter  by  noon  on  the  15th  instant,  should 
I  nut  receive,  prior  to  that  time,  controlling  instructions  from 
my  Government,  or  additional  supplies  ;  and  that  I  will  not,  in 
the  me'an  time,  open  my  fire  upon  your  forces,  unless  compelled 
to  do  so  by  some  hostile  act  against  this  fort  or  the  flag  of  my 
Government,  by  the  forces  under  your  command,  or  by  some 
portion  of  them,  or  by  the  perpetration  of  some  act  showing  a 
hostile  intention  on  your  part  against  this  fort  or  the  flag  it 
bears. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  General, 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)  ROBERT  ANDERSON, 

Major  United  States  Army,  commanding. 

This  reply  General  Beanregard  did  not  consider  sufficiently 
to  the  purpose,  inasmuch  as  information  had  come  to  hand 
(and  after-events  proved  its  truth)  that  an  attempt  would  be 
made,  by  force,  from  a  United  States  fleet  then  lying  off  the 
entrance  of  the  harbor,  to  relieve  the  fort;  and,  in  that  case, 
Major  Anderson  would  still  feel  himself  bound  to  hold  posses 
sion.  Prompt  measures,  therefore,  were  necessary,  and  Beau- 
gard  in] mediately  adopted  them.  He  quickly  sent  back  his 
aides,  with  instructions  how  to  act,  and  at  3.20  A.  M.  of  that 
eventful  Friday,  April  12th,  the  following  declaration  of 
hostility  was  delivered  to  Major  Anderson  : 

SIR — By  the  authority  of  Brigadier-general  Beauregard, 
commanding  the  provisional  forces  of  the  Confederate  States, 


208  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

we  have  the  honor  to  notify  you  that  he  will  open  the  fire  of 
his  batteries  on  Fort  Sumter  in  one  hour  from  this  time. 
"We  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servants, 
(Signed)  JAMES  CHESNUT,  Jr.,  Aid-de-cainp. 

STEPHEN  D.  LEE,  Captain  S.  C.  A.  and  Aid-de-camp. 
Major  ROBERT  ANDERSON, 

United  States  Army,  commanding  Fort  Sumter. 

What  immediately  followed  has  already  been  mentioned  at 
the  opening  of  our  chapter ;  but,  as  no  event  in  the  history  of 
America  has  had  so  important  a  bearing  upon  its  present  and 
future,  since  the  great  day  of  her  independence  was  acknow 
ledged,  we  deem  it  best  to  give  an  official  report  of  the  occur 
rences  that  took  place,  so  far  as  relating  to  the  subject  of  our 
present  sketch. 

General  Beauregard  says : 

"At  4.30  A.  M.  the  signal  shell  was  fired  from  Fort  Johnson  ; 
and  about  five  o'clock  the  fire  from  our  batteries  became  gen 
eral.  Fort  Sumter  did  not  begin  until  seven  o'clock,  when 
it  commenced  with  a  vigorous  fire  upon  the  Cummings'  Point 
iron  battery.  The  enemy  next  directed  his  fire  upon  the  en 
filade  battery  on  Sullivan's  Island,  constructed  to  sweep  the 
parapet  of  Fort  Sumter,  to  prevent  the  working  of  the  barbette 
guns,  and  to  dismount  them.  This  was  also  the  aim  of  the 
floating  battery,  the  Dahlgren  battery,  and  the  gun-batteries 
at  Cummings'  Point.  The  enemy  next  opened  fire  on  Fort 
Moultrie,  between  which  and  Fort  Sumter  a  steady  and  al 
most  constant  fire  was  kept  up  throughout  the  day.  These 
three  points,  Fort  Moultrie,  Cummings'  Point,  and  the  end  of 
Sullivan's  Island,  where  the  floating  batteiy,  Dahlgren  battery, 
and  the  enfilade  battery  were  placed,  were  the  points  to  which 
the  enemy  seemed  almost  to  confine  his  attention,  although  he 
fired  a  number  of  shots  at  Captain  Butler's  mortar  batteiy, 
situated  to  the  east  of  Fort  Moultrie,  and  a  few  at  Captain 
James'  mortar  batteries,  at  Fort  Johnson.  During  the  day 
(12th  inst.)  the  fire  of  my  batteries  was  kept  up  most  spiritedly  ; 
the  guns  and  mortars  being  worked  in  the  coolest  manner,  pre 
serving  the  prescribed  intervals  of  firing.  Towards  evening  it 
became  evident  that  our  fire  was  very  effective,  as  the  enemy 


GENERAL    PETER    GUSTAYE   TOUTANT    BEATJREGARD.  209 

was  driven  from  his  barbette  guns,  which  lie  attempted  to 
work  in  the  morning,  and  his  fire  was  confined  to  his  casemate 
guns,  but  in  a  less  active  manner  than  in  the  morning,  and  it 
was  observed  that  several  of  his  guns  en  barbette  were  disabled. 
"  During  the  whole  of  Friday  night  our  mortar  batteries 
continued  to  throw  shells,  but,  in  obedience  to  orders,  at  longer 
intervals.  The  night  was  rainy  and  dark,  and  as  it  was  con 
fidently  expected  that  the  United  States  fleet  would  attempt  to 
land  troops  upon  the  islands,  or  to  throw  men  into  Fort  Sum- 
ter,  by  means  of  boats,  the  greatest  vigilance  was  observed  at 
all  our  channel  batteries,  and  by  our  troops  on  both  Morris' 
and  Sullivan's  islands.  Early  on  Saturday  morning  all  of  our 
butteries  reopened  upon  Fort  Suinter,  which  responded  vigor 
ously  for  a  time,  directing  its  fire  specially  against  Fort  Moul- 
trie.  About  8  o'clock  A.  M.,  smoke  was  seen  issuing  from  the 
quarters  of  Fort  Suinter:  upon  this,  the  fire  of  our  batteries  was 
increased,  as  a  matter  of  course,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  the 
enemy  to  terms  as  speedily  as  possible,  inasmuch  as  his  flag 
was  still  floating  defiantly  above  him.  Fort  Sumter  continued 
to  fire  from  time  to  time,  but  at  long  and  irregular  intervals, 
amid  the  dense  smoke,  flying  shot,  and  bursting  shells.  Our 
brave  troops,  carried  away  by  their  naturally  generous  im 
pulses,  mounted  the  different  batteries,  and  at  every  discharge 
from  the  fort,  cheered  the  garrison  for  its  pluck  and  gallantry, 
and  hooted  the  fleet  lying  inactive  just  outside  the  bar.  About 
1.30  P.  M.,  it  being  reported  to  me  that  the  flag  was  down  (it 
afterwards  appeared  that  the  flag-staff  had  been  shot  away), 
and  the  conflagration  from  the  large  volume  of  smoke  being 
apparently  on  the  increase,  I  sent  three  of  my  aides  with  a 
message  to  Major  Anderson,  to  the  effect  that  seeing  his  flag  no 
longer  flying,  his  quarters  in  flames,  and  supposing  him  to  be 
in  distress,  I  desired  to  offer  him  any  assistance  he  might  stand 
in  need  of.  Before  my  aides  reached  the  fort,  the  United  States 
flag  was  displayed  on  the  parapets,  but  remained  there  only  a 
short  time,  when  it  was  hauled  down,  and  a  white  flag  substi 
tuted  in  its  place.  When  the  United  States  flag  first  disappeared, 
the  firing  from  our  batteries  almost  entirely  ceased,  but  re 
opened  with  increased  vigor  when  it  reappeared  on  the  para 
pet,  and  was  continued  until  the  w.hite  flag  was  raised,  when  it 
ceased  entirely.  Upon  the  arrival  of  my  aides  at  Fort  Snmter, 

14 


210  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

they  delivered  their  message  to  Major  Anderson,  who  replied 
that  he  thanked  me  for  my  offer,  but  desired  no  assistance. 
Just  previous  to  the  arrival,  Colonel  Wigfall,  one  of  my  aides, 
who  had  been  detached  for  special  duty  on  Morris'  Island, 
had,  by  order  of  Brigadier-general  Simons,  crossed  over  to 
Fort  Sumter  from  Cummings'  Point  in  an  open  boat,  with  pri 
vate  William  Gourdin  Young,  amidst  a  heavy  fire  of  shot  and 
shell,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  from  Major  Anderson 
whether  his  intention  was  to  surrender,  his  flag  being  down 
and  his  quarters  in  flames.  On  reaching  the  fort,  the  colonel 
had  an  interview  with  Major  Anderson,  the  result  of  which 
was,  that  Major  Anderson  understood  him  as  offering  the  same 
conditions  on  the  part  of  General  Beauregard,  as  had  been 
tendered  him  on  the  llth  instant;  while  Colonel  Wigfall's  im 
pression  was,  that  Major  Anderson  unconditionally  surrendered, 
trusting  to  the  generosity  of  General  Beauregard  to  offer  such 
terms  as  would  be  honorable  and  acceptable  to  both  parties; 
meanwhile,  before  these  circumstances  were  reported  to  me, 
and,  in  fact,  soon  after  the  aides  whom  I  had  dispatched  with 
the  offer  of  assistance  had  set  out  on  their  mission,  hearing  that 
a  white  flag  was  flying  over  the  fort,  I  sent  Major  Jones,  the 
chief  of  my  staff,  and  some  other  aides,  with  substantially  the 
same  propositions  I  had  submitted  to  Major  Anderson  on  the 
llth  instant,  wiih  the  exception  of  the  privilege  of  saluting  his 
flag. 

"The  major  (Anderson)  replied,  'it  would  be  exceedingly 
gratifying  to  him,  as  well  as  to  his  command,  to  be  permitted 
to  salute  his  flag,  having  so  gallantly  defended  the  fort,  under 
such  trying  circumstances,  and  hoped  that  General  Beaure 
gard  would  not  refuse  it,  as  such  a  privilege  was  not  unusual.' 
He  further  said,  'he  would  not  urge  the  point,  but  would  pre 
fer  to  refer  the  matter  to  General  Beauregard.'  The  point  was, 
therefore,  left  open  until  the  matter  was  submitted  to  me. 
Previous  to  the  return  of  Major  Jones,  I  sent  a  fire-engine,  un 
der  Mr.  M.  H.  Nathan,  chief  of  the  fire  department,  and 
Surgeon-general  Gibbes,  of  South  Carolina,  with  several  of  my 
aides,  to  offer  further  assistance  to  the  garrison  of  Fort  Sumter, 
which  was  declined.  I  very  cheerfully  agreed  to  allow  the 
salute  as  an  honorable  testimony  to  the  gallantry  and  fortitude 
with  which  Major  Anderson  and  his  command  had  defended 


GENERAL  PETER  GUSTAYE  TOUTANT  BKAURKGARD.     "211 

their  posts,  and  I  informed  Major  Anderson  of  my  decision 
about  half-past  seven  o'clock,  through  Major  Jones,  my  chief 
of  staff.  The  arrangements  being  completed,  Major  Anderson 
embarked  with  his  command  on  the  transport  prepared  to 
convey  him  to  the  United  States  fleet,  still  lying  outside  the 
bar,  and  our  troops  immediately  garrisoned  the  fort,  and  before 
sunset  the  flag  of  the  Confederate  States  floated  over  the  ram 
parts  of  Sumter." 

During  the  bombardment  several  incidents  occurred  that 
showed  how  the  gallantry  displayed  by  Major  Anderson  and  his 
heroic  band  was  fully  understood  and  appreciated,  even  by 
those  fighting  against  him.  But  we  have  not  space,  here, 
to  record  them.  One  circumstance,  however,  relating  to  the 
interchange  of  such  courtesies  as  could  be  extended,  may  be 
mentioned.  When  the  news  arrived  in  Paris,  a  French  gentle 
man  said  to  an  American  there  :  "  Quelle  idee  chevalresque ! 
On  voit  que  vous  avez  profite,  vous  autres  Americains,  de 
Texernple  Francais.  Ce  General  Beauregard  porte  un  nom 
Frangais  P* 

Immediately  after  the  surrender  of  Fort  Sumter,  General 
Beauregard  issued  a  complimentary  order  to  his  troops  for 
their  bearing,  and  the  success  which  had  attended  their  arms  ; 
and,  at  a  later  period,  he  himself  and  his  officers  received  the 
thanks  of  the  Southern  Congress,  "  for  the  skill,  fortitude,  and 
courage"  displayed  ;  and  the  commendation  of  Congress  was 
also  expressed  in  view  "  of  the  generosity  manifested  by  their 
conduct  towards  a  brave  and  conquered  foe." 

About  this  time  General  Beauregard  was  visited  by  a  gen 
tleman  somewhat  well  known,  both  in  the  North  and  South, 
from  his  letters  to  the  London  Times.  We  allude  to  Mr.  W. 
II.  Russell,  who  says,  under  date  of  April  16th  : 

u  I  was  taken  after  dinner  and  introduced  to  General  Beau- 
regard,  who  was  engaged,  late  as  it  wras,  in  his  room  at  head 
quarters,  writing  dispatches.  .  .  .  He  received  me  in  the  most 
cordial  manner,  and  introduced  me  to  his  engineer  officer, 
Major  Whiting,  whom  he  assigned  to  lead  me  over  the  works 
next  day.  After  some  general  conversation,  I  took  my  leave ; 


*  "  What  a  chivalric  idea !     It  is  easy  to  see  that  you  Americans  have  pro 
fited  by  French  example.     This  General  Beauregard  bears  a  French  name  !" 


212  SOUTHERN"    GENERALS. 

but,  before  I  went,  the  general  said,  '  You  shall  go  everywhere 
and  see  every  thing ;  we  rely  upon  your  discretion,  and  knowl 
edge  of  what  is  fair,  in  dealing  with  what  you  see.  Of  course 
you  don't  expect  to  find  regular  soldiers  in  our  camps,  or  very 
scientific  works.'  I  answered  the  general,  that  he  might  rely 
on  my  making  no  improper  use  of  what  I  saw  in  this  country, 
but,  'unless  you  tell  me  to  the  contrary,  I  shall  write  an  ac 
count  of  all  I  see,  to  the  other  side  of  the  water ;  and  if,  when 
it  comes  back,  there  are  things  you  would  rather  not  have 
known,  you  must  not  blame  me.'  lie  smiled,  and  said,  '  I  dare 
say  we'll  have  great  changes  by  that  time.' 

"  The  next  day  I  went  over  and  saw  General  Beauregard, 
again,  at  his  quarters.  He  was  busy  with  papers,  orderlies, 
and  dispatches,  and  the  outer  room  was  crowded  with  officers. 
His  present  task,  he  told  me,  was  to  put  Sumter  in  a  state  of 
defence,  and  to  disarm  the  works  bearing  on  it,  so  as  to  get 
their  fire  directed  on  the  harbor  approaches,  as  '  the  North,  in 
its  madness,'  might  attempt  a  naval  attack  on  Charleston.* 
His  manner  of  transacting  business  was  clear  and  rapid.  Two 
vases  filled  with  flowers  on  his  table,  flanking  his  maps  and 
plans  ;  and,  by  way  of  paper  weight,  a  little  bouquet  of  roses, 
geraniums,  and  scented  flowers  lay  on  a  letter  which  he  was 
writing  as  I  came  in.  He  offered  me  every  assistance  and 
facility,  relying,  of  course,  on  my  strict  observance  of  a  neu 
tral's  duty."  .  .  .  .  "  April  2-ith,  I  saw  General  Beauregard 
in  the  evening;  he  was  very  lively  and  in  good  spirits,  though 
he  admitted  he  was  rather  surprised  by  the  spirit  displayed  in 
the  North.  '  A  good  deal  of  it  is  got  up,  however,'  he  said, 
'and  belongs  to  that  washy  sort  of  enthusiasm  which  is  pro 
moted  by  their  lecturing  and  spouting.' 

(;  Beauregard  is  proud  of  his  personal  strength,  which, 
for  his  slight  frame,  is  said  to  be  very  extraordinary,  and  he 
seemed  to  insist  on  it  that  the  Southern  men  had  more  phy 
sical  strength,  owing  to  their  mode  of  life,  and  their  education, 
than  their  Northern  '  brethren.'  .  .  .  .  "  He  is  apprehensive 
of  an  attack  by  the  Northern  'fanatics'  before  the  South  is 
prepared,  and  he  considers  they  will  carry  out  coercive  meas-., 
ures  most  rigorously." 


*  This,  after  events  verified. 


GENERAL  PETER  GUSTAVE  TOUTANT  EEAUREGARD.     213 

On  the  4th  of  May,  General  Beauregard  was  again  met  by 
Mr.  Russell,  on  his  way  to  Montgomery.  The  latter  gentle 
man  says:  "At  one  of  the  junctions,  General  Beauregard,  at 
tended  by  Mr.  Manning,  and  others  of  his  staff,  got  into  the 
car,  and  tried  to  elude  observation,  but  the  conductors  take 
great  pleasure  in  unearthing  distinguished  passengers  for  the 
public,  and  the  general  was  called  on  for  a  speech  by  the 
crowd  of  idlers.  The  general  hates  speech-making,  he  told 
me ;  and,  besides,  he  had  been  bored  to  death  at  every  station 
by  similar  demands.  But,  a  man  must  be  popular,  or  he  is 
nothing." 

From  Montgomery — where  he  had  personally  reported  to 
President  Davis — it  is  variously  stated  that  he  went  to  Rich 
mond  and  consulted  with  General  Lee,  and  was  afterwards  at 
Norfolk  with  a  large  force.  But  the  reports  of  his  movements 
at  this  time  were,  not  only  confused,  but  contradictory,  and, 
under  present  circumstances,  it  is  difficult  to  give  any  exact 
statement,  until  we  find  him,  on  May  12th,  again  at  Charleston, 
departing  in  the  steamer  General  Clinch  on  a  tour  of  inspection. 

On  the  22d  of  May  he  was  still  at  Charleston,  as  the  fol 
lowing  letter  shows : 

HEADQUARTERS  PROVISIONAL  ARMY  C.  S.,  ) 
CHARLESTON,  S.  C.,  May  22,  1861.         j" 

DEAR  MAJOR — I  send  you,  through  Mr.  T.  K.  Wharton,  a 
piece  of  the  flag-staff  of  Fort  Sumter,  which  was  struck  nine 
times  by  the  balls  and  shells  of  our  batteries,  and  finally  came 
down  with  the  flag  attached  to  it.  The  piece  sent  you  is  in 
tended  as  the  staff  of  your  battalion  colors,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  that  when  thus  honored,  and  under  the  protection  of 
our  gallant  comrades,  it  will  meet  with  better  success. 

With  the  assurance  of  my  high  consideration,  I  remain,  dear 

major,  yours  verv  truly, 

P.  G.  T.  BEAUREGARD, 

Brigadier-General  Commanding. 
Major  NUMA  AUGUSTIN,  Commanding  Orleans  Battalion,  New  Orleans. 

A  few  days  after,  General  Beauregard  was  appointed 
to  a  fresh  command,  supposed,  at  first,  to  have  been  Corinth, 
Mississippi;  and  several  statements  in  the  papers  asserted  he 
was  there,  or  on  his  way  ;•  but  if  so,  he  must  have  speedily 
returned  to  Richmond,  as  he  was  at  that  place  in  the  early 


214:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

part  of  June.  However,  it  was  on  tlie  27th  of  May  he  Lade 
farewell  to  Charleston,  in  the  following  letter,  addressed  to 
General  Martin. 

CHARLESTON,  May  27,  1861. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL — I  sincerely  regret  leaving  Charleston, 
where  the  inhabitants  have  given  me  such  a  welcome  that  I 
now  consider  it  as  my  second  home. 

I  had  hoped  that  when  relieved  from  here  it  would  have 
been  to  go  to  Virginia,  in  command  of  the  gallant  Carolinians, 
whose  courage,  patience,  and  zeal  I  had  learned  to  appreciate 
and  admire.  But  it  seems  my  services  are  required  elsewhere, 
and  thither  I  shall  go,  not  with  joy,  but  with  the  linn  deter 
mination  to  do  more  than  my  duty,  if  I  can,  and  to  leave  as 
strong  a  mark  as  possible  on  the  enemies  of  our  beloved  coun 
try,  should  they  pollute  its  soil  with  their  dastardly  feet. 

But  rest  assured,  my  dear  sir,  that  whatever  happens  at 
first,  we  are  certain  to  triumph  at  last,  even  if  we  had  for  arms 
only  pitchforks  and  flint-lock  muskets,  for  every  bush  and 
haystack  will  become  an  ambush  and  every  barn  a  fortress. 
The  history  of  nations  proves  that  a  gallant  and  free  people, 
lighting  for  their  independence  and  firesides,  are  invincible 
against  even  disciplined  mercenaries,  at  a  few  dollars  per 
month.  What,  then,  must  be  the  result  when  its  enemies  are 
little  more  than  an  armed  rabble,  gathered  together  hastily  on 
a  false  pretence,  and  for  an  unholy  purpose,  with  an  octogen 
arian  at  its  head  ?  None  but  the  demented  can  doubt  the  issue. 
I  remain,  dear  general,  yours  sincerely, 

P.  G.  T.  BEAUREGARD. 

At  the  beginning  of  June,  General  Beauregard  was  in  con 
sultation  with  President  Davis  and  General  Lee,  at  Richmond, 
while,  by  means  of  couriers,  they  held  frequent  communica 
tion  with  General  Johnston,  then  in  command  near  Harper's 
Ferry.  The  result  was,  that  a  military  campaign  was  decided 
upon,  embracing  defensive  operations  in  North  Virginia  and 
the  Shenandoah  valley,  and  concentrating  an  army,  under 
Beauregard,  at  the  Manassas  Gap  railroad  junction,  and  imme 
diate  locality. 

Beanregard  immediately  assumed  command,  and  on  the  5th 
of  June  issued  a  proclamation,  earnestly  inviting  and  enjoining 


GENERAL    PETER    GUSTAVE    TOUTANT    BEAUREGARD.  215 

the  people  of  the  counties  around  "  to  rally  to  the  standard  of 
their  State  and  country."  At  the  same  time  no  strangers 
were  allowed  to  go  North  without  a  passport. 

The  following  account  of  Beauregard  and  his  army,  at  this 
period,  from  a  gentleman  writing  to  a  Southern  paper,  may 
be  found  interesting. 

Dating  his  letter  from  Manassas  Junction,  July  7th,  he  says  : 
"This  place  still  continues  the  headquarters  of  the  army  of 
the  Potomac.  By  nature,  the  position  is  one  of  the  strongest 
that  could  have  been  found  in  the  whole  State.  About  half 
way  between  the  eastern  spur  of  the  Blue  Hidge  and  the  Poto 
mac,  below  Alexandria,  it  commands  the  whole  country  be 
tween,  so  perfectly  that  there  is  scarcely  a  possibility  of  its 
being  turned.  The  right  wing  stretches  off  towards  the  head 
waters  of  the  Ocoogan,  through  a  wooded  country,  which  is 
easily  made  impassable  by  the  felling  of  trees.  The  left  is  a 
rolling  table-land,  readily  commanded  from  the  successive  ele 
vations,  till  you  reach  a  country  so  rough  and  so  rugged  that 
it  is  a  defence  to  itself.  The  key  to  the  whole  position,  in  fact, 
is  precisely  that  point  which  General  Beauregard  chose  for  his 
centre,  and  which  he  has  fortified  so  strongly,  that,  in  the 
opinion  of  military  men,  five  thousand  men  could  there  hold 
twenty  thousand  at  bay 

''As  might  be  expected  from  the  skill  with  which  he  has 
chosen  his  position,  and  the  system  with  which  he  encamps  and 
moves  his  men,  General  Beauregard  is  ve.ry  popular  here.  I 
doubt  if  Napoleon  himself  had  more  the  undivided  confidence 
of  his  army.  By  nature,  as  also  from  a  wise  policy,  he  is  very 
reticent.  Not  an  individual  here  knows  his  plans,  or  a  single 
move  of  a  regiment  before  it  is  made,  and  then  only  the 
colonel  and  his  men  know  where  it  goes  to.  So  close  does  the 
general  keep  his  affairs  to  himself,  his  left  hand  hardly  knowreth 
what  his  right  hand  doeth  ;  and  so  jealous  is  he  of  this  preroga 
tive  of  a  commanding  officer,  that  I  verilv  believe  if  he  sus- 

o  t/ 

pected  his  coat  of  any  acquaintance  with  the  plans  revolving 
within  him,  he  would  cast  it  from  him. 

"The  general's  headquarters  is  a  little  farm-house,  about 
fifteen  feet  by  twenty,  fronting  one  of  the  roads  leading  to 
Alexandria.  The  ground-floor  is  divided  into  two  rooms.  The 
front  one  is  rilled  with  desks,  at  which  clerks  sit  writing,  or 


216  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

engaged  in  business  of  a  varied  character.  The  back  one  ap 
pears  to  be  used  as  a  storeroom  or  kitchen.  Above,  the  same 
division  continues,  and  the  front  room  is  the  general's  apart 
ment.  It  is  about  fifteen  feet  long  by  ten  wide,  and  hung  with 
maps  of  the  State  and  country  around.  In  the  centre  is  a  plain 
pine  table,  on  which  lie,  neatly  folded  up,  what,  the  visitor 
would  naturally  take  to  be  plans,  specifications,  surveys,  geo 
metrical  drawings,  etc.,  and  by  their  side  military  reports. 
Every  thing  has  the  air  of  neatness,  coolness,  and  mathemati 
cal  calculation.  Of  course  there  is  nothing  in  the  room  but 
what  pertains  to  the  office,  and  to  most  eyes  it  would  appear 
somewhat  bare;  but  what  there  is,  is  arranged  with  so  much 
taste,  that  the  general  impression  is  by  no  means  unpleasing. 

u  The  general  is  in  his  room  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  ap 
parently  occupied  with  his  plans  and  reports.  Then,  hour  after 
hour  he  sits  alone  by  his  neat  little  pine  table,  maps,  plans,  and 
specifications  before  him,  and  large  windows  open  behind  and 
around  him — at  first  sight  the  cold,  calculating,  unsympathiz- 
ing  mathematician.  Every  now  and  then  an  aide  enters  with  a 
report  or  a  message,  which  is  delivered  in  military  style, 
deliberately  examined  in  silence,  the  corresponding  order 
promptly  written  out  or  delivered  in  as  few  words  as  possible, 
and  our  mathematical  iceberg  is  alone  asrain.  When  a  visitor 

o  £D 

drops  in,  however,  at  a  leisure  moment,  the  formality  of  the 
officer  readily  gives  way  to  that  easy  interchange  of  civilities 
which  characterizes  our  people  at  home,  but  nothing  more. 
Even  at  the  table,  where  the  general  is  daily  surrounded  by 
the  most  distinguished  gentlemen  of  the  country,  there  appears 
to  be  a  distance  which  I  suppose  is  natural  to  his  position,  but 
which  is  rarely  found  elsewhere. 

"The  leading  characteristic  of  General  Beauregard's  mind  is 
clearness  and  perception.  Superadded  to  this  is  a  strictly 
mathematical  education.  This  you  see  in  every  word  and 
look,  even  in  the  expression  of  his  face.  Sines,  cosines,  and 
tangents  stick  out  everywhere.  In  person  he  is  slender  and 
compactly  built,  and  extremely  neat.  Add  to  this  a  precision 
of  manner,  slightly  modified  by  the  ease  which  characterizes 
the  well-bred  man  of  the  world,  and  you  have  a  correct  idea  of 
the  man  whose  word  is  law  and  gospel  throughout  one  of  the 
largest,  most  intelligent,  and  best-appointed  armies  ever  as- 


GENERAL  PETER  GUSTAVE  TOUTANT  BEAUREGARD.     21 7 

sembled  on  the  American  continent.  In  his  personal  staff  the 
general  has  been  peculiarly  fortunate.  They  are  principally 
from  South  Carolina,  the  same  he  had  with  him  at  the  siege  of 
Fort  Sumter;  all  of  them  accomplished,  discreet  gentlemen,  of 
the  most  pleasing  manners.  Among  them  I  have  been  happy 
to  meet  Colonel  Preston,*  so  long  a  resident  and  so  well  known 
in  Louisiana,  whose  genial  society  must  be  a  happy  relief  to 
the  severe  labors  of  the  day. 

"  The  general's  mess  is  very  much  in  keeping  with  his  char 
acter,  and  simple  enough  for  Napoleon  himself.  It  is  served 
on  a  long  pine  table,  set  in  an  open  piazza  of  the  farm-house, 
and  all  his  friends  are  hospitably  welcomed  to  it  three  times  a 
day.  The  general  sits  nearly  in  the  middle,  his  aides  immedi 
ately  on  one  side,  and  his  latest  guests  on  the  other;  the  rest 
of  the  company  as  they  may  choose  or  chance  to  seat  them 
selves.  The  viands  are  such  as  the  country  around  affords; 
only  the  rice  was  '  imported,'  and  with  it,  I  suspect,  a  South 
Carolina  cook,  for  every  kernel  was  as  independent  as  the  State 
from  which  it  came." 

The  author  of  "  Battle-fields  of  the  South,"  who  was,  him 
self,  not  only  a  close  observer  and  fluent  writer,  but  one  of 
those  brave  soldiers  who  promptly  volunteered  at  the  Southern 
call  for  troops,  and  was  in  the  Confederate  army  under  Beau- 
regard  at  the  time,  gives  us  some  interesting  sketches  of  the 
general ;  but  we  have  not  space  to  transcribe  them. 

On  the  18th  of  July  took  place  that  engagement  between  a 
portion  of  the  Northern  army,  under  General  McDowell,  and 
the  Southern  forces,  under  Beauregard  and  Johnston,  which, 
by  the  former,  has  been  called  the  fight  at  Blackburn's  ford, 
and,  by  the  latter,  the  battle  of  Bull  Run — terming  the  great 
battle  of  Bull  Eun,  that  of  Manassas. 

The  particulars  of  this  engagement,  and  the  great  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  fought  on  July  21st,  are  too  well  known  to  need  re 
peating  here,  and,  moreover,  have  been  briefly  described  in 
our  sketch  of  General  Jackson's  life.  The  following,  however, 
not  generally  known,  nor  to  be  found  in  official  documents, 
deserves  to  be  introduced  here. 

At   a  select   dinner  party,   some   time   after  this,   General 

*  See  page  QOQ- 


218  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

Beauregard,  in  a  speech  having  reference  to  the  new  Confed 
erate  flag,  made  the  following  remarks  concerning  this  portion 
of  the  battle  of  Manassas.  He  said  : 

u  On  the  21st  of  July,  at  about  half-past  three  o'clock,  per 
haps  four,  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  victory  was  already  within 
our  grasp.  In  fact,  up  to  that  moment,  I  had  never  wavered 
in  the  conviction  that  triumph  must  crown  our  arms.  Nor 
was  my  confidence  shaken  until,  at  the  time  I  have  mentioned, 
I  observed  on  the  extreme  left,  at  the  distance  of  something 
more  than  a  mile,  a  column  of  men  approaching.  At  their 
head  was  a  flag  which  I  could  not  distinguish.  Even  with  the 
aid  <>f  a  strong  glass,  I  was  unable  to  determine  whether  it  was 
the  United  States  flag,  or  the  Confederate  flag. 

"  At  the  same  moment,  I  received  a  dispatch  from  Captain 
Alexander,  in  charge  of  the  signal  station,  warning  me  to  look 
out  for  the  left;  that  a  large  column  was  approaching  from 
that  direction,  and  that  it  was  supposed  to  be  General  Patter- 
Bon's  command,  coming  to  reinforce  McDowell.  At  this  mo 
ment,  I  must  confess,  my  heart  failed  me.  I  came,  reluctantly, 
to  the  conclusion,  that,  after  all  our  efforts,  we  should  at  last 
be  compelled  to  yield  to  the  enemy  the  hard-fought  and  bloody 
iield.  I  again  took  the  glass  to  examine  the  flag  of  the  ap 
proaching  column  ;  but  my  anxious  inquiry  was  unproductive 
of  result — I  could  not  tell  to  which  army  the  waving  banner 
belonged.  At  this  time,  all  the  members  of  my  staff  were 
absent,  having  been  dispatched  with  orders  to  various  points. 
The  only  person  with  me  was  the  gallant  officer  who  has  re 
cently  distinguished  himself  by  the  brilliant  feat  of  arms — 
General,  then  Colonel,  Evans.  To  him  I  communicated  my 
doubts  and  my  fears.  I  told  him  I  feared  the  approaching 
force  was  in  reality  Patterson's  division  ;  that  if  such  was  the 
case,  I  should  be  compelled  to  fall  back  upon  our  reserves,  and 
postpone  till  the  next  day  a  continuation  of  the  engagement. 

u  After  further  reflection,  I  directed  Colonel  Evans  to  pro 
ceed  to  General  Johnston,  who  had  assumed  the  task  of  col 
lecting  a  reserve,  and  to  inform  him  of  the  circumstances  of  the 
case ;  and  to  request  him  to  have  the  reserves  collected  with 
all  dispatch,  and  hold  them  in  readiness  to  support  our  retro 
grade  movement.  Colonel  Evans  started  on  the  mission  thus 
intrusted  to  him.  He  had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance, 


GENERAL    PETER  GUSTAYE   TOUTANT   BEAUREGARD.  219 

when  it  occurred  to  me  to  make  another  examination  of  the 
still  approaching  flag.  It  had  now  come  within  full  view.  A 
sudden  gust  of  wind  shook  out  its  folds,  and  I  recognized  the 
stars  and  bars  of  the  Confederate  banner.  It  was  the  flag 
borne  by  your  regiment  [here  the  general  turned  to  Colonel 
Hay,  who  sat  beside  him],  the  gallant  Seventh  Louisiana,  and 
the  column  of  which  your  regiment  constituted  the  advance 
was  the  brigade  of  General,  then  Colonel,  Early. 

"As  soon  as  you  were  recognized  by  our  soldiers,  your  com 
ing  was  greeted  with  enthusiastic  cheers,  regiment  after  regi 
ment  responding  to  the  cry  ;  the  enemy  heard  the  triumphant 
huzza ;  their  attack  slackened  ;  these  were  in  turn  assailed  by 
our  forces,  and  within  half  an  hour  from  that  moment  com 
menced  the  retreat,  which  afterwards  became  a  confused  and 
total  rout.  I  am  glad  to  see  that  war-stained  banner  gleaming 
over  us  at  this  festive  board,  but  I  hope  never  again  to  see  it 
upon  the  field  of  battle." 

A.  few  days  after  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  General  Beaure- 
gard  received  a  letter  from  the  bereaved  sister  of  Colonel 
Cameron,  who  had  been  killed  ;  and  surely  we  cannot  err  if, 
amidst  the  fierce  scenes  we  are  obliged  to  bring  more  promi 
nently  forward,  we  occasionally  introduce  touching  incidents 
of  natural  affection  like  the  one  here  named. 

WASHINGTON,  July  26th,  1861 
GENERAL  BEAUREGARD,  Commander  of  the  Confederate  Army : 

DEAR  SIR — With  a  grieved  and  torn  heart  I  address  you. 
If  it  is  in  your  power  will  you  give  a  word  of  comfort  to  a  dis 
tressed  spirit?  I  allude  to  the  death  of  the  gallant  Colonel 
Cameron,  of  the  Federal  army,  on  last  Sunday,  21st  July.  We 
are  all  God's  creatures,  alike  in  his  sight.  It  is  a  bereaved 
sister  that  petitions.  Colonel  Cameron  received  two  shots, 
immediately  following  each  other,  that  destroyed  his  life.  The 
fate  of  his  body  is  the  grief,  to  know  what  has  become  of  it. 
Think  of  a  distress  of  a  like  nature  in  Southern  families,  and 
let  us  forgive  as  we  hope  to  be  forgiven. 

All  that  we  have  been  able  to  learn  is,  that  Colonel  Came 
ron  was  carried  to  a  farm-house  near  the  scene  of  battle.  He 
had  letters  in  his  pocket  declaring  his  name  and  station.  He 
was  rather  a  large  man,  with  sandy  hair,  somewhat  gray, 


220  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

dressed  in  gray  clothes.  Have  mercy  on  the  bowed  spirit 
that  laments  fur  the  beloved  lost — that  would  be  comforted  to 
know  that  he  received  decent  burial.  Notwithstanding  the 
war,  we  are  all  brothers.  "  God  prosper  the  righteous  cause." 
In  pity,  have  inquiries  made,  for  the  love  a  sister  bears  a 
brother, .and  may  God  show  you  mercy  in  time  of  trouble 

Should  your  noble  spirit  grant  my  request,  and  if  by  inquiry 
you  can  receive  any  information,  please  have  a  letter  addressed 
to  Mrs.  Sarah  Z.  Evans,  No.  553  Capitol  Hill,  Washington 
city,  care  of  Adams'  Express  Company. 

Very  respectfully,  your  well-wisher, 

SARAH  Z.  EVANS. 

Please  favor  me  so  far  as  to  have  the  letter  acknowledged 
as  received.  S.  Z.  E. 

HEADQUARTERS,  FIRST  CORPS,  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC,  ) 
MANASSAS,  August  5,  1861.     \ 

MADAM — Your  letter  of  the  2Gth  ult.  has  been  received, 
making  some  inquiries  relative  to  the  body  of  your  late  brother, 
Colonel  Cameron,  United  States  army,  killed  at  Manassas  on 
the  21st  tilt.  In  answer,  I  will  state  that,  upon  inquiry,  I  find 
he  was  interred,  with  several  other  bodies,  in  a  grave  about 
two  hundred  yards  from  the  house  of  a  Mrs.  Dogan,  on  the 
battlefield,  who  attended  herself  this  sad  duty.  .  .  .  Indeed,  I 
fully  agree  with  you:  may  all  the  distress  of  this  unholy  war 
be  visited  upon  the  heads  of  those  wrho  are  responsible  for  it, 
and  may  the  Almighty  Ruler  of  the  Universe,  in  his  infinite 
goodness  and  wisdom,  (continue  to)  prosper  the  righteous  cause ! 
A  gentleman  of  this  State,  Mr.  Kinlaw  Fauntleroy,  a  pri 
vate  in  Colonel  Stuart's  cavalry  brigade,  has  in  his  possession 
a  miniature  portrait  of  Colonel  Cameron  and  wife,  which  he 
intends  to  return  to  their  friends  after  the  war;  for  at  present 
no  intercourse  of  the  kind  is  admissible  between  the  two  con 
tending  parties. 

With  much  respect,  I  remain  your  most  obedient  servant, 

P.  G.  T.  BEAUREGARD, 

General  Commanding. 
Mrs.  S.  Z.  EvAix  S,  No.  553  Capitol  HiU,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Other  attempts  were  made  by  Colonel  McCunn  and  Senator 
Harris,  to  obtain  Colonel  Cameron's  body,  but  they  failed ; 


GENERAL  PETER  GUSTAVE  TOUTANT  BEAUREGARD.     221 

and  it  was  not  until  the  following  March,  nearly  eight  months 
after  the  battle,  that  the  place  of  his  burial  was  found  by  a 
party  of  friends  visiting  the  scene,  and  his  body  exhumed  for 
the  purpose  of  conveying  it  to  Washington  for  reinterment. 

It  has  often  been  asked  by  some,  why  Beanregard  did  not 
immediately  advance  on  Washington,  while  the  enemy  was  in 
confusion?  But,  independent  of  what  lie  himself  says,  and 
what  we  conceive  to  be  one  fact,  viz.,  the  exhausted  condi 
tion  of  the  Confederate  troops  at  the  time,  the  following  has 
been  stated  by  an  officer  in  the  Southern  army.  He  says: 
'•  I  do  not  know  what  was  the  reason.  Johnston,  Beauregard, 
and  President  Davis  held  a  consultation.  Beauregard  was  in 
favor  of  advancing  immediately,  but  Davis  and  Johnston  both 
opposed  the  movement.  Whether  it  was  right  or  wrong,  I 
shall  not  pretend  to  say.  If  we  had  advanced,  we  might  now 
have  Washington  in  our  possession.  But  then  what  would 
Washington  be  worth  to  us  after  we  had  taken  it,  and  how 

difficult  would  it  have  been  to  hold  it?     I  think  we  oiifirht  to 

o 

have  advanced  on  Alexandria  and  driven  the  enemy  from  the 
soil  of  Virginia,  but  President  Davis  said  not,  and  I  am  will 
ing  to  risk  him  in  every  thing." 

Other  reasons  have  also  been  given,  attributing  the  cause  to 
political  and  personal  jealousies,  but  we  have  no  need,  here, 
to  bring  them  forward. 

On  Thursday,  August  8th,  Prince  Napoleon,  who  had  but  a 
short  time  before  arrived  in  the  United  States,  paid  a  visit  to 
General  Beauregard,  at  Manassas.  The  Prince  had  a  special 
escort  and  pass  from  the  Federal  authorities ;  and,  on  entering 
the  Confederate  lines  near  Fairfax,  was  received  by  the  officer 
on  guard  there,  who  accompanied  the  party  to  Colonel  Stuart, 
in  command  of  the  post.  There,  dinner  was  served,  and  im 
mediately  afterwards  they  continued  their  journey  via  Centre- 
ville  to  Manassas,  crossing  over  the  Stone  bridge  at  Bull  Run, 
and  part  of  the  battlefield.  A  courier  was  dispatched,  in  ad 
vance,  to  apprize  General  Beauregard,  and  shortly  afterwards 
a  member  of  his  staff  met  the  party  about  a  mile  from  head 
quarters.  Upon  approaching  the  latter,  a  salute  was  fired, 
and  Generals  Beauregard  and  Johnston  came  forward  to  re 
ceive  the  Prince.  He  was  conducted  into  the  rather  primitive 
frame  structure  serving  as  headquarters,  and  at  once  commenced 


222  SOUTHERN    GENEKAL8. 

a  lively  conversation,  in  French,  with  both  generals.  It  is 
stated  that  the  Prince  showed  great  caution  and  reserve  in 
all  he  said,  and  preserved  it  throughout  his  stay.  General 
Beauregard  soon  found  occasion  to  suggest  to  the  Prince  an 
extension  of  his  tour  to  Richmond  ;  but  although  he  and  Gen 
eral  Johnston  were  exceedingly  intreating,  the  Prince  declared 
that  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  go  any  further  south. 
It  being  already  late  in  the  evening,  and  the  imperial  party 
being  considerably  fatigued,  but  a  short  tour  was  made  through 
the  camps  after  supper,  which  is  said  to  have  been  of  a  deci 
dedly  frugal  character.  The  Prince  sought  the  plain  couch, 
surrendered  to  him  by  General  Beauregard,  at  an  early  hour. 
Shortly  after  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  Prince  was  up, 
and  after  partaking  of  a  breakfast  as  plain  as  the  supper  of  the 
previous  evening,  he  sallied  out  with  his  suite,  under  the  gui 
dance  of  Generals  Beauregard  and  Johnston,  upon  a  tour  of 
inspection  through  the  fortifications  and  encampments,  and 
about  the  Junction.  The  crack  regiments  of  the  rebels,  form 
ing  a  division  of  about  six  thousand  men,  were  drawn  up  in 
line  and  reviewed  by  the  Prince.  The  troops  cheered  him 
lustily  when  he  passed  along  the  lines. 

After  the  review,  the  field-officers  of  the  several  regiments 
were  introduced  by  General  Beauregard  to  the  Prince,  who 
exchanged  some  complimentary  phrases  with  them. 

The  Prince  then  started  upon  his  return,  and  arrived  in 
Washington  again  the  same  evening. 

After  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  the  two  armies  of  Johnston 
and  Beauregard  were  united  in  one,  and  styled  the  "  Army  of 
the  Potomac."  Both  the  generals  still  retained  their  respec 
tive  commands,  Beauregard  being  permitted  to  keep  the  mili 
tary  direction  of  all  the  troops,  while  Johnston — though  his 
senior  in  rank — took  charge  of  details.  This  was  done  to 
avoid  confusion  of  any  kind  while  before  the  enemy,  or  while 
there  was  any  probability  of  another  battle.  The  advanced 
brigades  of  the  army  were  already  bivouacked  in  full  view  of 
Washington,  and  daily  had  some  conflict  with  the  enemy,  but, 
with  that  exception,  quiet  was  maintained  for  some  time.  The 
policy  of  acting  on  the  defensive  was  that  enjoined  by  the 
Confederate  authorities,  and  thus  the  army  remained  inert  at 
its  old  quarters,  from  Manassas  to  Centreville,  until  October. 


GENERAL  PETER  GUSTAVE  TOUT  ANT  BEArREGARD.     223 

It  was  at  the  latter  part  of  August,  General  Beanregard  re 
ceived  an  application  for  permission  to  the  Jews  in  his  army 
to  absent  themselves  on  furlough,  to  attend  the  services  of  their 
religion  at  the  great  celebration  of  the  year.  This  application 
he  was  compelled  to  refuse,  and  the  following  extract  from  his 
adjutant-general's  reply,  gives  his  opinion  on  the  subject: 

"To  grant  your  application  to  give  furloughs  to  the  soldiers 
of  the  Jewish  persuasion,  from  '  the  2d  to  the  15th  day  of  Sep 
tember,  so  that  they  may  participate  in  the  holy  service'  of 
your  ancient  religion  for  this  period  of  the  year,  is  impossible, 
as  you,  and  all  Hebrews  serving  with  this  army,  will  surely 
understand. 

;' It  would  seem,  indeed,  the  Ruler  of  nations  and  God  of 
battles  is  guiding  and  aiding  us,  as  certainly  and  visibly  in 
these  days  as  when,  of  old,  He  released  your  people  from 
Egyptian  bondage;  and  the  general  sincerely  believes  that  all 
Israelites  now  in  this  army  will  do  quite  as  acceptable  service 
to  Jehovah,  at  this  momentous  juncture,  in  standing  here,  at 
their  posts,  ready  to  battle  for  their  homes,  their  liberties,  and 
their  country,  as  if  their  time  wras  passed  in  the  strictest  ob 
servance  and  celebration  of  the  sublime  rites  of  Judaism  for 
this  period  of  the  year. 

"  Confidently  trusting  in  this,  and  assured  that  on  reflection 
such  must  be  the  conclusion  of  all  of  your  religion, 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

THOS.  JORDAN,  A.  A.  General. 

To  M.  I.  MECHELBACKER,  Rabbi  Preacher. 

On  the  21st  of  October,  a  portion  of  the  Confederate  army, 
under  General  Evans,  attacked  and  defeated  the  Federals  at 
Ball's  Bluff,  near  Leesburg.  This  engagement  elicited  from 
General  Beauregard  an  official  order,  expressed,  not  only  in 
strong  terms  of  commendation  towards  General  Evans  and  his 
troops,  but  in  language  significant  of  condemnation  as  regarded 
the  defensive  policy  still  adopted  by  the  authorities  at  Rich 
mond.  "With  reference  to  this,  and  to  certain  passages  in  the 
official  report  of  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  which  President  Davis 
disapproved,  and,  for  some  time,  would  not  allow  to  be  printed, 
there  arose  a  controversy  between  the  friends  of  the  general 
and  the  President,  of  a  somewhat  sharp  and  unpleasant  na- 


234:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

tn re.  The  subject  was  even  taken  up  in  the  Southern  Con 
gress,  during  a  secret  session  ;  the  President  having  sent  Beau- 
regard's  report  in  to  that  body,  accompanied  by  comments  of 
his  own  on  some  of  its  preliminary  passages.  The  order  even 
tually  taken  by  Congress,  however,  was  to  have  the  document 
published,  after  expurgating  the  portion  referred  to,  and  the 
President's  comments  thereon.  "What  was  Beanregard's  own 
feeling  upon  the  subject,  may  be  judged  by  the  following  let 
ter,  which,  at  the  beginning  of  the  controversy,  he  sent  to  the 
Richmond  press  for  publication  : 

CENTREVILLE,  WITHIN  HEARING  OF  THE     ) 
ENEMY'S  GUNS,  Sunday,  Nov.  3,  1801.   \ 
To  EDITORS  RICHMOND  WHIG  : 

GRNTLEMKN — My  attention  has  just  been  called  to  an  un 
fortunate  controversy  now  going  on  relative  to  the  publication 
of  a  synopsis  of  my  report  of  the  battle  of  Manassas.  !STone 
can  regret  more  than  I  do  this,  from  a  knowledge  that,  by  au 
thority,  the  President  is  the  sole  judge  of  when,  and  what  part 
of  the  commanding  officer's  report  shall  be  made  public.  I, 
individually,  do  not  object  to  delaying  its  publication  as  long 
as  the  War  Department,  thinks  proper  and  necessary  for  the 
success  of  our  cause.  Meanwhile,  I  entreat  my  friends  not  to 
trouble  themselves  about  refuting  the  slanders  and  calumnies 
aimed  against  me.  Alcibiades,  on  a  certain  occasion,  resorted 
to  an  extraordinary  method  to  occupy  the  minds  of  his  tradu- 
cers — let,  then,  that  synopsis  answer  the  same  purpose  for  me 
in  this  instance.  If  certain  minds  cannot  understand  the  dif 
ference  between  patriotism,  the  highest  civic  virtue,  and  office- 
seeking,  the  lowest  civic  occupation,  I  pity  them  from  the  bot 
tom  of  my  heart.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  I  prefer  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  my  countrymen  to  the  admiration  and  envy  of 
the  world.  I  hope,  for  the  sake  of  our  cause  and  country,  to 
be  able,  with  the  assistance  of  kind  Providence,  to  answer  my 
calumniators  with  new  victories  over  our  national  enemies  ; 
but  T  have  nothing  to  ask  of  the  country,  Government,  or  any 
friends,  except  to  afford  me  all  the  aid  they  can  in  the  great 
struggle  we  are  now  engaged  upon.  1  am  not  either  a  candi 
date,  nor  do  I  desire  to  be  a  candidate^  for  any  civil  office  in 
the  gift  of  the  people  or  executive.  The  aim  of  my  ambition, 


GENERAL    TKTER    GUSTAVE    TOUTAXT    BEATJREGAKD. 

after  Laving  cast  my  mite  in  the  defence  of  our  sacred  cause, 
and  assisted,  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  in  securing  our  rights 
and  independence  as  a  nation,  is  to  retire  to  private  life,  my 
means  then  permitting,  never  again  to  leave  my  home,  unless 
to  light  anew  the  battles  of  my  country. 

Respectfully,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

P.  T.  BEAUREGARD." 

Early  in  the  year  1802,  it  was  determined  by  the  Confederate 
authorities  to  speedily  evacuate  the  position  held  at  Manassas  ;"" 
and  accordingly,  in  January.  General  Beauregard  was  trans 
ferred  to  the  department  of  the  Mississippi.  On  the  3Uth  of 
January  he  issued  the  following  address  to  the  troops  at  Ma 
nassas  : 

HEADQUAKTEES  FIHST  CYmrs,  AmiY  OF  THE  POTOMAC,  ) 
XEAII  CEXTKEVILLE,  January  30,  1803.     \ 

SOLPTKUS    OF    THE  FlRST    Coiil'S,   A«MY    OF    TIIK   PoTOMAC My 

duty  calls  me  away,  and  to  a  temporary  separation  from  you. 
I  hope,  however,  to  be  with  you  a^ain,  to  share  your  labors  and 
your  perils,  and  in  defence  of  our  homes  and  rights,  to  lead 
you  to  new  battles,  to  be  crowned  with  signal  victories. 

You  are  now  undergoing  the  severest  trial  of  a  soldier's 
life  ;  the  one  by  which  his  discipline  and  capacity  for  endur 
ance  are  thoroughly  tested.  My  faith  in  your  patriotism,  your 
devotion  and  determination,  and  in  your  high  soldierly  qual 
ities,  is  so  great,  that  1  >hall  rest  assured  yon  will  pass  through 
the  ordeal  resolutely,  triumphantly.  Still,  I  cannot  quit  you 
without  deep  emotion,  without  even  deep  anxiety,  in  the  mo 
ment  of  our  country's  trials  and  dangers.  Above  all,  I  am 
anxious  that  my  brave  countrymen,  here  in  arms,  fronting  the 
haughty  array  and  muster  of  Northern  mercenaries,  should 
thoroughly  appreciate  the  exigency,  and  hence  comprehend 
that  this  is  no  time  for  the  army  of  the  Potomac — the  men  of 
Manassas — to  stack  their  arm*,  and  quit,  even  for  a  l>ri<-f  pcr'wa, 
the  standards  they  have  made  glorious  by  their  manhood.  All 
must  understand  this,  and  feel  the  magnitude  of  the  conflict 
impending,  the  universal  personal  sacrifices  this  war  has  en 
tailed,  and  our  duty  to  meet  them  as  promptly  and  unblench- 
ingly  as  you  have  met  the  enemy  in  line  of  battle. 

*  It  \vas  not  evacuated,  however,  until  March. 
15 


2  '2  6  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

To  the  army  of  the  Shenandoah,  I  desire  to  return  my 
thanks  for  their  endurance  in  the  memorable  march  to  my  as 
sistance,  last  July,  their  timely,  decisive  arrival,  and  for  their 
conspicuous  steadiness  and  gallantry  on  the  field  of  battle. 

Those  of  their  comrades,  of  both  corps,  and  of  all  arms  of 
the  army  of  the  Potomac,  not  so  fortunate  as  yet  to  have 
been  with  us  in  conflict  with  our  enemy,  I  leave  with  all  con 
fidence  that  on  occasion  they  will  show  themselves  fit  comrades 
for  the  men  of  Manassas,  Bull  Run,  and  Ball's  Bluff. 

P.  G.  T.  BEAUREGARD, 
General  commanding. 

At  midnight  of  Friday,  the  30th,  he  left  by  a  special  train 
to  Lynchburg,  and  thence  proceeded  rapidly  to  the  West, 
taking  with  him  fifteen  thousand  men.  On  the  3d  of  Febru 
ary  he  was  at  JN^ashville,  Tennessee,  consulting  with  Generals 
Pillow  and  Cheatham,  and  immediately  afterwards  began  to 
strengthen  the  defences  of  the  city.  On  the  13th  of  February, 
after  visiting  Bowling  Green,  and  consulting  with  General  A. 
S.  Johnson,  Beauregard  went  to  Columbus  and  inspected  the 
fortifications.  It  wTas,  however,  deemed  unadvisable  to  defend 
it :  "  the  works,  therefore,  were  blowrn  up,  and  all  the  cannon 
and  stores  transferred  to  Island  ~No.  10,  which  it  was  thought 
might  be  converted  into  a  little  Gibraltar,  and  successfully  beat 
back  the  enemy's  flotillas  on  the  Mississippi." 

At  this  time,  so  high  was  the  opinion  entertained  of  Beaure- 
gard's  military  skill,  that  when  it  was  known  at  New  Orleans 
he  wanted  reinforcements,  one  of  the  crescent  brigades  promptly 
volunteered  for  ninety  days'  service.  The  offer,  sent  by  tel 
egraph,  was  immediately  answered  by  Beauregard  as  follows  : 

"JACKSON,  February  28th. 

"To  GOVERNOR  THOMAS  0.  MOORE: — I  will  accept  all  good 
equipped  troops,  under  Act  of  21st  of  August,  that  will  offer, 
and  for  ninety  days.  Let  the  people  of  Louisiana  understand 
that  here  is  the  proper  place  to  defend  Louisiana." 

On  the  5th  of  March  he  publicly  assumed  command  of  the 
Confederate  forces  in  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi,  as  second 
to  General  A.  S.  Johnson,  with  his  headquarters  at  Jackson. 
He  then  issued  the  following  address  to  his  soldiers  : 


GENERAL    PETER    GUSTAVE    TOUTANT    BEAUREGARD.  227 

"  SOLDIERS  : — I  assume,  this  day,  the  command  of  the  army 
of  the  Mississippi,  for  the  defence  of  our  homesteads  and  liber 
ties,  and  to  resist  the  subjugation,  spoliation,  and  dishonor  of 
our  people.  Our  mothers  and  wives,  our  sisters  and  children, 
expect  us  to  do  our  duty,  even  to  the  sacrifice  of  our  lives. 

"  Our  losses,  since  the  commencement  of  the  present  war,  in 
killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  are  now  about  the  same  as  those 
of  the  enemy. 

"  He  must  be  made  to  atone  for  those  reverses  we  have 
lately  experienced.  Those  reverses,  far  from  disheartening, 
must  nerve  us  to  new  deeds  of  valor  and  patriotism,  and  should 
inspire  us  with  an  unconquerable  determination  to  drive  back 
our  invaders. 

"  Should  any  one  in  this  army  be  unequal  to  the  task  before 
us,  let  him  transfer  his  arms  and  equipments  at  once  to  braver, 
firmer  hands,  and  return  to  his  home. 

"Our  cause  is  as  just  and  sacred  as  ever  animated  men  to 
take  up  arms  ;  and  if  we  are  true  to  it,  and  to  ourselves,  with 
the  continued  protection  of  the  Almighty,  we  must,  and  shall 
triumph." 

A  few  days  afterwards  he  issued  a  general  order  for  the 
guidance  of  his  troops  in  battle,  wherein  the  following  passage 
relating  to  sharpshooting  occurs  : 

"  Officers  in  command  must  be  cool  and  collected  ;  hold 
their  men  in  hand  in  action,  and  caution  them  against  useless, 
aimless  firing.  The  men  must  be  instructed  and  required  each 
one  to  single  out  his  mark.  It  was  the  deliberate  sharp-shoot 
ing  of  our  forefathers  in  the  revolution  of  1776,  and  New 
Orleans  in  1815,  which  made  them  so  formidable  against  the 
odds  with  which  they  were  engaged." 

About  the  same  time,  Beauregard  sent  an  appeal  to  the 
planters  of  the  Mississippi  valley  for  bells,  to  be  cast  into  can 
non.  He  said :  "More  than  once  a  people  fighting  witli  an 
enemy,  .  .  .  for  homes  and  a  land  not  more  worthy  of  resolute 
and  unconquerable  men  than  yours,  ....  have  not  hesitated 
to  melt  and  mould  into  cannon  the  precious  bells  surmounting 
their  houses  of  God,  which  had  called  generations  to  prayer. 
We  want  cannon  as  greatly  as  any  people  who  ever,  as  history 
tells  you,  melted  their  church  bells  to  supply  them  ;  and  I, 
your  general,  intrusted  with  the  command  of  the  army  em- 


228  SOUTHERN'  GKNKRALS. 

bodied  of  your  sons,  your  kinsmen,  and  your  neighbors,  do 
now  call  upon  you  to  send  your  plantation  bells  to  the  nearest 
railroad  depot,  subject  to  my  order,  to  be  melted  into  cannon 
for  the  defence  of  your  plantations. 

"AY ho  will  not  cheerfully  and  promptly  send  me  his  bells 
under  such  circumstances?  Be  of  good  cheer;  but  time  is 
precious." 

In  response  to  this,  we  find  that  many  of  the  plantation 
bells  used  for  indicating  the  time  and  calling  the  negroes 
together — each  bell  weighing  from  100  to  500  pounds,  and 
composed  of  the  best  metal, — besides  other  bells,  were  freely 
offered.* 

Meanwhile,  the  necessity  for  superintending  the  works  on 
Island  Xo.  10,  compelled  Beauregard  to  be  personally  there, 
and,  for  some  time,  he  successfully  defended  the  place  against 
the  Federal  attacks,  in  their  gunboats,  under  Flag-officer  Foote. 
"  On  the  1st  of  April,  General  Beauregard  telegraphed  to  the 
War  Department  at  Richmond,  that  the  bombardment  had 
continued  for  fifteen  days,  in  which  time  the  enemy  had 
thrown  3,000  shells,  and  expended  about  100,000  pounds  of 
powder,  without  injuring  the  batteries,  and  only  killing  ono 
man."  But  the  movements  of  the  Federal  troops  on  the  Ten 
nessee  river  were  now  so  rapid  and  serious  in  their  nature,  that 
it  was  deemed  advisable  for  General  Beauregard  to  proceed 
thither  without  delay.  Accordingly,  on  the  3d  of  April,  he 
gave  over  the  command  of  Island  Xo.  10  to  General  Mack  all, 
and  immediately  started  for  Corinth.  Four  days  later,  Island 
Xo.  10  was  captured  by  the  combined  land  and  naval  forces 
of  the  Xorth,  under Joreneral  Pope  and  Commodore  Foote. 

*  On  July  30th,  1862,  there  was  a  curious  auction  sale  of  418  of  these  bells, 
captured  at  New  Orleans.  One  of  them  had  painted  on  it,  "  G.  T.  Beaure 
gard  ;  from  the  Baptist  Church  of  Durhamville,  Tenn." 


CHAPTER  II. 

Beaureo-;ird  at  Corinth. — Battle  of  Shiloh. — Correspondence  between  Bcaurecrard 
and  Grant. — Engagement  at  Farminirton. — Van  Dorn  and  Price. — Evacuation  of  Co 
rinth. — Beauregard's  Failing  Health. — Retires  from  the  Command. — Resides  in  Ala 
bama. —  Appointment  to  the  Department  of  South  Carolina. — Engagement  at  Pocoto- 
liu'o.— Gunboat  Exploit  at  Charleston.— The  Blockade  Declared  to  be  Raised  — 
Combined  Land  and  Naval  Attack  on  Charleston. — The  Federal  Ironclads. — Fort 
Sumter  aLfafti. — Result  of  the  Engagement. — The  Kcokuk  sunk. — General  Ripley,  and 
Colonels  Rhett  and  Yates. — The  Confederate  Flair. — Characteristics  and  Opinions  of 
Beau  regard. — Renewed  Attack  on  Charleston. — Admiral  Dahlgren  and  Gilmore. — 
Bombardment  of  Sumter.-— Morris  Island,  Fort  Wagner,  and  Battery  Gregg  aban- 
cloncd.— Snmter  in  Ruins,  but  held  by  the  Confederates.— Federals  Repulsed.— Beau- 
reirard's  Tribute  to  the  Confederate  Navy. — Death  of  his  Wife. — Petersburg. — Gen 
eral  Grant. — Beauregard  Appointed  to  Western  Department. — Recalled. — Savannah. 
— Lines  to  Beauregard. 

Ox  arriving  at  Corinth,  Beanregard  at  once  concentrated 
all  liis  forces  in  the  immediate  neighborhood,  with  a  view  of 
cutting  off  the  enemy's  communication  with  the  South  and 
East.  The  Federal  army,  under  General  Grant,  was  then  at 
Pittsburg  landing,  on  the  field  of  Shiloh,  and  along  both  sides 
of  the  river  Tennessee,  toward  Savannah,  Tennessee.  Grant, 
it  was  supposed  by  Beauregard,  had  not  been  reinforced  by 
General  Buell,  his  second  in  command,  and,  therefore,  it  was 
deemed  advisable  by  the  Confederates  to  attack  him  without 
delay.  General  A.  8.  Johnson  had  promptly  moved  forward 
to  unite  his  forces  with  those  of  Beauregard,  and  General  Polk 
Lad  also  arrived  with  his  command  from  Columbus.  General 
Bragg's  army  was  likewise  there ;  and,  in  order  to  avoid  all 
confusion,  General  Beauregard  wras  proclaimed,  in  orders 
issued  by  General  Johnson,  to  be  in  command  of  the  whole 
force.  Never  had  the  South  seen,  on  a  single  battlefield,  a 
more  magnificent  army  assembled,  "  in  numbers,  in  discipline, 
in  the  galaxy  of  the  distinguished  names  of  its  commanders, 
and  in  every  article  of  merit  and  display  ;'*  and,  on  Thursday 
the  3d  of  April,  this  splendid  array  of  soldiers  began  the 
march  to  the  battlefield.  But,  on  that  day,  not  much  pro 
gress  was  made,  owing  to  bad  roads;  and,  therefore,  it  was  not 
until  Saturday  afternoon  that  the  Confederate  forces  reached 


230  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  enemy.  What  followed  is  best 
described  in  General  Beauregard's  own  words,  as  published  in 
the  following  official  report : 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  ) 
CORINTH,  Miss.,  April  llth,  1802.     ) 

"GENERAL — On  the  2d  nit., having  ascertained  conclusively, 
from  the  movements  of  the  enemy  on  the  Tennessee  river,  and 
from  reliable  sources  of  information,  that  his  aim  would  be  to 
cut  off  my  communications  in  West  Tennessee  with  the  eastern 
and  southern  States,  by  operating  from  the  Tennessee  river, 
between  Crump's  landing  and  Eastport,  as  a  base,  I  deter 
mined  to  foil  his  designs  by  concentrating  all  my  available 
forces  at  and  around  Corinth. 

At  the  same  time,  General  Johnson  being  at  Murfreesboro, 
on  the  march  to  form  a  junction  of  his  forces  with  mine,  was 
called  on  to  send  at  least  a  brigade  by  railroad,  so  that  we 
might  fall  on  and  crush  the  enemy,  should  he  attempt  an  ad 
vance  from  under  his  gunboats.  The  call  on  General  Johnson 
was  promptly  complied  with.  His  entire  force  was  also 
hastened  in  this  direction,  and  by  the  first  of  April  our  united 
forces  were  concentrated  along  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  railroad, 
from  Bethel  to  Corinth,  and  on  the  Memphis  and  Charleston 
railroad,  from  Corinth  to  luka. 

It  was  then  determined  to  assume  the  offensive  and  strike  a 
sudden  blow  at  the  enemy  in  position,  under  General  Grant, 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Tennessee,  at  Pittsburg  and  in  the 
direction  of  Savannah,  before  he  was  reinforced  by  the  army 
under  General  Buell,  then  known  to  be  advancing  for  that 
purpose  by  rapid  marches  from  Nashville  via  Columbia. 
About  the  same  time  General  Johnson  was  advised  that  such 
an  operation  conformed  to  the  expectations  of  the  President. 

By  a  rapid  and  vigorous  attack  on  General  Grant,  it  was 
expected  he  would  be  beaten  back  into  his  transports  and  the 
river,  or  captured,  in  time  to  enable  us  to  profit  by  the  victory, 
and  remove  to  the  rear  all  the  stores  and  munitions  that  would 
fall  into  our  hands,  in  such  an  event,  before  the  arrival  of 
Buell's  army  on  the  scene.  It  was  never  contemplated,  how 
ever,  to  retain  the  position  thus  gained,  and  abandon  Corinth, 
the  strategic  point  of  the  campaign 


GENERAL    PETER    G-USTAVE    TOUTANT    BEAUREGARD.  231 

On  the  following  morning  the  detailed  orders  of  movement 
were  issued,  and  the  movement,  after  some  delay,  commenced, 
the  troops  being  in  admirable  spirits.  It  was  expected  we 
should  be  able  to  reach  the  enemy's  lines  in  time  to  attack 
them  early  on  the  5th  inst.  The  men,  however,  for  the  most 
part,  were  unused  to  marching,  the  roads  narrow,  and  travers 
ing  a  densely  wooded  country,  became  almost  impassable  after 
a  severe  rain-storm  on  the  night  of  the  4th,  which  drenched 
the  troops  in  bivouac  ;  hence  our  forces  did  not  reach  the  inter 
section  of  the  roads  from  Pittsburg  and  Hamburg,  in  the  im 
mediate  vicinity  of  the  enemy,  until  late  Saturday  afternoon. 
....  Thirty  minutes  after  five  o'clock,  A.  M.,  on  the  6th,  our 
lines  and  columns  were  in  motion,  all  animated  evidently  by  a 
promising  spirit.  The  front  line  was  engaged  at  once,  but  ad 
vanced  steadily,  followed  in  due  order  with  equal  resolution 
and  steadiness  by  the  other  lines,  which  were  brought  succes 
sively  into  action  with  rare  skill,  judgment,  and  gallantry,  by 
the  several  corps  commanders,  as  the  enemy  made  a  stand, 
with  his  masses  rallied  for  a  struggle  for  his  encampments. 
Like  an  Alpine  avalanche  our  troops  moved  forward,  despite 
the  determined  resistance  of  the  enemy,  until  six  o'clock  p.  M., 
when  we  were  in  possession  of  all  encampments  between  Owl 
and  Lick  creeks,  but  one.  Nearly  all  of  his  field  artillery, 
about  thirty  flags,  colors,  and  standards,  over  three  thousand 
prisoners,  including  a  division  commander  (General  Prentiss) 
and  several  brigade  commanders,  thousands  of  small-arms,  an 
immense  supply  of  subsistence,  forage,  and  munitions  of  war, 
and  a  large  amount  of  means  of  transportation — all  the  sub 
stantial  fruits  of  a  complete  victory — such,  indeed,  as  rarely 
have  followed  the  most  successful  battles  ;  for  never  was  an 
army  so  well  provided  as  that  of  our  enemy. 

Our  loss  was  heavy.  Our  commander-in-chief,  General  A. 
S.  Johnson,  fell  mortally  wounded,  and  died  on  the  field  at 
half-past  two  in  the  afternoon,  after  having  shown  the  highest 
qualities  of  the  commander,  and  a  personal  intrepidity  that 
inspired  all  around  him,  and  gave  resistless  impulsion  to  his 
columns  at  critical  moments. 

The  chief  command  then  devolved  upon  me,  though  at  the 
time  1  was  greatly  prostrated,  and  suffering  from  the  prolonged 
sickness  with  which  I  had  been  afflicted  since  early  in  Febru- 


232  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

ary.  The  responsibility  was  one  which,  in  my  physical  condi 
tion,  I  would  have  gladly  avoided,  though  cast  upon  me  when 
our  forces  were  successfully  pushing  the  enemy  back  upon  the 
Tennessee  river,  and  though  supported  on  the  immediate  field 
by  such  corps  commanders  as  Major-generals  Polk,  Bragg,  and 
Hardee,  and  Brigadier-general  Breckinridge,  commanding  the 
reserv  e. 

It  was  after  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  as  before  said,  when 
the  enemy's  last  position  was  carried,  and  his  forces  finally 
broke  and  sought  refuge  behind  a  commanding  eminence, 
covering  the  Pittsburg  landing,  not  more  than  half  a  mile  dis 
tant,  and  under  the  guns  of  the  gunboats,  which  opened  on  our 
eager  columns  a  fierce  and  annoying  fire  with  shot  and  shell 
of  the  heaviest  description.  Darkness  was  close  at  hand. 
Officers  and  men  were  exhausted  by  a  combat  of  over  twelve 
hours  without  food,  and  jaded  by  the  march  of  the  preceding 
day,  through  mud  and  water;  it  was,  therefore,  impossible  to 
collect  the  rich  and  opportune  spoils  of  war  scattered  broadcast 
on  the  field  left  in  our  possession,  and  impracticable  to  make 
any  effective  dispositions  for  their  removal  to  the  rear. 

I  accordingly  established  my  headquarters  at  the  church  of 
Shiloh,in  the  enemy's  encampment,  with  Major-general  Bragg, 
and  directed  our  troops  to  sleep  on  their  arms,  in  such  positions 
in  advance  and  rear  as  corps  commanders  should  determine.  .  . 
.  .  During  the  night  the  rain  fell  in.  torrents,  adding  to  the  dis 
comfort  and  harassed  condition  of  the  men  ;  the  enemy,  more 
over,  had  broken  their  rest  by  a  discharge,  at  measured  inter 
vals,  of  heavy  shells  thrown  from  the  gunboats  ;  therefore,  on 
the  following  morning  the  troops  under  my  command  were 
not  in  condition  to  cope  with  an  equal  force  of  fresh  troops, 
armed  and  equipped  like  our  adversary,  in  the  immediate  pos 
session  of  his  depots,  and  sheltered  by  such  an  auxiliary  as  the 
enemy's  gunboats. 

About  six  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  7th  of  April,  how 
ever,  a  hot  fire  of  musketry  and  artillery,  opened  from  the 
enemy's  quarter  on  our  advanced  line,  assured  me  of  the  junc 
tion  of  his  forces,  and  soon  the  battle  raged  with  a  fury  which 
satisfied  me  I  was  attacked  by  a  largely  superior  force.  .  .  . 
Again  and  again  our  troops  were  brought  to  the  charge,  in 
variably  to  win  the  position  at  issue,  invariably  to  drive  back 


GKXEBAL  PETEK  GUSTAVE  TOUTANT  BEAUKEGARD.     233 

their  fee.  But  hour  by  hour,  thus  opposed  to  an  enemy  con 
stantly  reinforced,  our  ranks  were  perceptibly  thinned  under 
the  unceasing,  withering  fire  of  the  enemy  ;  and  by  twelve 
meridian,  eighteen  hours  of  hard  fighting  had  sensibly  ex 
hausted  a  large  number,  my  last  reserves  had  necessarily  been 
disposed  of,  and  the  enemy  was  evidently  receiving  fresh  rein 
forcements  after  each  repulse.  Accordingly,  about  1  p.  M.,  I 
determined  to  withdraw  from  so  unequal  a  conflict,  securing 
such  of  the  results  of  the  victory  of  the  day  before  as  was  then 
practicable." 

General  Beauregard  now  retired  to  Corinth,  "in  pursuance 
of  his  original  design  to  make  that  the  strategic  point  of  his 
campaign,"  and  the  Federals,  flushed  with  victory,  and  rein 
forced  by  troops  from  Missouri,  and  the  army  of  Pope, 
marched  forward  under  Major-general  Ilalleck,  who  had  now 
arrived  and  assumed  entire  command.  On  the  first  dny  of 
May  it  had  reached  halfway  to  Corinth  ;  but,  meanwhile,  the 
armies  of  Van  Dorn  and  Price  had  come  from  Arkansas  and 
Missouri,  and  united  with  that  under  Beauregard.  The  forces 
under  General  Lovell,  that  had  been  at  Xew  Orleans — captured 
by  the  Federals  on  the  28th  of  April — had  also  joined  the 
troops  at  Corinth;  and  thus,  again,  was  there  another  splendid 
army  ready  to  do  battle  with  the  enemy. 

On  the  day  after  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  the  following  corres 
pondence  took  place  between  the  two  opposing  commanders  : 

LETTER  OF  GENERAL  BEAUREGARD. 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  ) 
MONTEREY,  April  8,  1SG2.         f 

SIR — At  the  close  of  the  conflict  of  yesterday,  my  forces  be 
ing  exhausted  by  the  extraordinary  length  of  time  during 
which  they  were  engaged  with  yours  on  that  and  the  preced 
ing  day,  and  it  being  apparent  that  you  had  received,  and 
were  still  receiving  reinforcements,  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  with 
draw  my  troops  from  the  immediate  scene  of  conflict. 

Under  these  circumstances,  in  accordance  with  usages  of 
war,  I  shall  transmit  this,  under  a  flag  of  truce,  to  ask  permis 
sion  to  send  a  mounted  party  to  the  battlefield  of  Shiloh,  for 
the  purpose  of  giving  decent  interment  to  my  dead. 

Certain  gentlemen  wishing  to  avail  themselves  of  this  oppor- 


234  SOUTHERN    GKNERALS. 

tunitj  to  remove  the  remains  of  their  sons  and  friends,  I  must 
request  for  them  the  privilege  of  accompanying  the  burial 
party  ;  and  in  this  connection  I  deem  it  proper  to  say,  I  am 
asking  only  what  I  have  extended  to  your  own  countrymen 
tinder  similar  circumstances. 

Hespect fully,  General,  your  obedient  servant, 
P.  G/T.  BEAUREGARD, 

General  Commanding. 
To  Major-general  U.  S.  GRANT,  U.  S.  A., 
Commanding  U.  S.  forces  near  Pittsburg,  Term. 

GENERAL  GRANT'S  REPLY. 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  IN  THE  FIELD,  ) 
PITTSBUKG,  April  9,  1862.         f 
GENERAL  P.  G.  T.  BEAUREGARD,  Commanding 
Confederate  Army  of  the  Mississippi,  Monterey,  Tenn. 

Your  dispatch  of  yesterday  is  just  received.  Owing  to  the 
warmth  of  the  weather,  I  deemed  it  advisable  to  have  all  the 
dead  of  both  parties  buried  immediately.  Heavy  details  were 
made  for  this  purpose,  and  it  is  now  accomplished. 

There  cannot,  therefore,  be  any  necessity  of  admitting  within 
our  lines  the  parties  you  desired  to  send  on  the  grounds  asked. 

I  shall  always  be  glad  to  extend  any  courtesy  consistent 
with  duty,  and  especially  so  when  dictated  by  humanity. 

I  am,  General,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

U.  S.  GRANT, 

Major-general  Commanding. 

Shortly  after,  when  the  reinforcements  had  arrived,  General 
Beauregard  visited  their  encampment  and  inspected  them,  and 
was  received  with  the  warmest  greeting  and  loud  hurrahs. 

On  the  8th  of  May,  Beauregard  issued  the  following  address 
to  his  army  : 

HEADQUARTERS  OF  THE  FORCES  AT  CORINTH,  Miss.,  ) 

May  8,  1863.         j 

SOLDIERS  OF  SIIILOH  AND  ELKHORX — We  are  about  to  meet 
once  more,  in  the  shock  of  battle,  the  invaders  of  our  soil,  the 
despoilers  of  our  homes,  the  disturbers  of  our  family  ties,  face 
to  face,  hand  to  hand.  We  are  to  decide  whether  we  are  to 
be  freemen,  or  vile  slaves  of  those  who  are  only  free  in  name, 
and  who  but  yesterday  were  vanquished,  although  in  largely 


GENERAL  PETER  GUSTAVE  TOUT ANT  BEAUREGARD.     235 

superior  numbers,  in  their  own  encampments,  on  the  ever  me 
morable  field  of  Shiloh.  Let  the  impending  battle  decide  our 
fate,  and  add  a  more  illustrious  page  to  the  history  of  our  rev 
olution — one  to  which  our  children  will  point  with  noble 
pride,  saying,  "  Our  fathers  were  at  the  battle  of  Corinth."  I 
congratulate  you  on  your  timely  junction.  With  our  mingled 
banners,  for  the  first  time  during  this  war,  we  shall  meet  our 
foe  in  strength  that  should  give  us  victory.  Soldiers,  can  the 
result  be  doubtful  {  Shall  we  not  drive  back  in  Tennessee  the 
presumptuous  mercenaries  collected  for  our  subjugation  ?  One 
more  manly  effort,  and  trusting  in  God  and  the  justness  of  our 
cause,  we  shall  recover  more  than  we  lately  lost.  Let  the 
sound  of  our  victorious  guns  be  re-echoed  by  those  of  the  army 
of  Virginia  on  the  historic  battlefield  of  Yorktown. 

P.  G.  T.  BEAUKEGARD, 

General  Commanding. 

At  this  time,  the  Federals  had  advanced  to  within  a  few 
miles  of  Corinth,  and  on  the  9th,  the  Confederates,  under  Van 
Dorn  and  Price,  drove  back  a  part  of  their  advance  near  Farm- 
ington,  and  compelled  General  Pope,  in  command  of  that  por 
tion  of  the  army,  to  retire.  On  the  21st,  Halleck's  batteries 
were  within  three  miles  of  Corinth,  and  daily  skirmishing  now 
took  place,  with  occasional  firing  from  the  artillery.  Gradually 
the  Federal  troops  advanced  still  nearer,  employing  all  the 
cautious  skill  and  strategy  that  General  Ilalleck  was  so  emi 
nently  master  of.  Corinth  was  strongly  fortified,  having 
batteries  or  redoubts  at  every  road  or  assailable  point.  Be 
tween  the  fortifications  and  a  marshy  stream  covering  the 
whole  front,  the  dense  timber  had  been  cut  down  to  form  a 
very  strong  abattis,  through  which  no  cavalry  or  artillery 
could  have  passed,  nor  even  infantry,  except  as  skirmishers. 
Thus,  it  was  considered  by  the  Federal  commanders  that  a 
hotly  contested  siege  must  take  place,  and  when,  day  after 
day,  it  was  found  that  the  slightest  movement  of  the  Federals 
in  advance  was  instantly  and  vigorously  met,  no  doubt  re 
mained  that  Corinth  would  become  the  field  of  another  heavy 
battle.  Great,  therefore,  was  the  surprise  of  the  beseigers 
when,  on  the  morning  of  Friday,  May  30th,  it  was  discovered 
that  Beauregard  had  withdrawn  his  whole  army  and  evacuated 


236  SOUTHERN     GKXKKALS. 

the  place.  For  several  days  previous,  the  Confederate  troops 
had  been  slowly  and  cautiously  sent  further  South,  and, 
finally,  on  the  night  of  Thursday,  the  20th  and  30th,  the  whole 
were  safely  withdrawn,  taking  with  them  all  they  could,  and 
destroying  the  remainder. 

As  much  comment,  and  some  controversy  between  officers 
of  rank  on  opposite  sides  arose  from  this  evacuation  of  Corinth 
by  Beauregard,  it  is  but  just  that  some  few  particulars  should 
be  given. 

An  independent  writer,  himself  in  the  army  at  the  time, 
says  : 

ult  soon  became  obvious  that  if  Ilalleck  would  not  advance 
from  his  works,  we  should  either  be  compelled  to  retreat  at  no 
distant  day,  or  be  massacred  at  discretion  by  the  enemy's 
guns,  which  were  daily  advanced  nearer  and  nearer,  with  ap 
parent  impunity.  The  Federals  were  sorely  afraid  we  would 
retreat,  and  in  that  case  their  mammoth  trendies  and  labori 
ously  constructed  roads  would  but  ill  repay  them  for  their 
patience  and  long  suffering.  This  affliction,  however,  we 
could  not  spare  them.  Immense  roads  had  been  dug  and  lev 
elled  through  miles  of  timber,  unheard  of  supplies  of  shot, 
shell,  and  mammoth  mortar  batteries  had  been  brought  to  the 
front  with  infinite  labor,  and  much  sacrifice  of  life  and  money, 
when,  early  one  morning,  our  whole  army  quietly  decamped 
towards  Tullahoma,  and  ere  the  mists  had  risen,  were  beyond 
sight  or  hearing!  .  .  .  The  result  does  Beauregard  infinite 
credit.  Halleck  had  stored  his  camp  with  immense  supplies; 
he  had  destroyed  hundreds  of  horses,  wagons,  mules,  and 
carts  in  the  work  of  transportation  ;  had  prepared  for  n  bom 
bardment  of  an  indefinite  period  ;  built  magazines  and  bar 
racks,  repaired  railroads,  and  erected  bridges,  thus  occupying 
the  whole  spring  in  preparation  /  and  now,  in  one  moment,  all 
these  plans  were  thwarted,  and  the  hot  season  too  far  advanced 
for  his  troops  to  move  a  mile  further  into  the  interior!" 

It  must  be  remembered  that  at  this  especial  time,  Rich 
mond,  the  Southern  capital,  was  being  closely  besieged  by 
McGlellaii  ;  and,  on  the  very  day  after  Beauregard  evacuated 
Corinth,  the  first  of  the  series  of  battles  near  and  around 
Richmond,  was  fought  on  the  Chickahominy.  Thus,  there 
may  have  been  other,  and  more  secret  reasons  than  those  gen- 


GENKKAL  PKTER  GUSTAVE  TOUTANT  BKAL'EEGARD.      237 

erally  known,  for  resigning  important  positions  in  the  West, 
while  the  seat  of  government  in  the  East  was  in  clanger.  Cer 
tain  it  is,  that  the  authorities  at  Washington  also  deemed  it 
advisable  to  call  both  General  Halleck  and  General  Pope, 
soon  afterwards,  to  their  side — the  first  as  Commander-in-chief, 
and  the  latter  as  general  of  the  army  of  Virginia;  and,  when 
we  know  the  state  of  doubt  and  anxiety  in  Richmond,  at  the 
time,  it  is  not  too  much  to  suppose  that  Beauregard  might 
have  been  thought  of  in  like  manner  by  his  friends.  How 
ever,  there  was  quite  enough  in  the  circumstances  of  the  case 
itself,  as  some  urge,  for  Beauregard  to  adopt  the  course  he  did. 
That  ideas,  similar  to  those  we  have  mentioned  were  enter 
tained  in  the  Xorth,  may  be  gathered  from  referring  to  some 
of  the  Xew  York  papers  about  June  1st,  1862. 

At  this  time  the  health  of  Beauregard  was  such,  that  his 
physicians  u  urgently  recommended  rest  and  recreation  ;"  and 
accordingly,  he  addressed  a  letter  to  the  authorities  at  Rich 
mond  on  the  subject. 

On  the  15th  of  June  he  turned  over  his  command  to  Gen 
eral  Bragg,  and  left  for  Montgomery,  where  he  arrived  on  the 
17th,  accompanied  only  by  his  personal  staff.  Public  report 
then  stated  that  he  had  gone  on  to  Richmond  in  consequence 
of  the  feeling  still  existing  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  author 
ities  against  him,  and  to  explain  the  reason  of  his  evacuating 
Corinth.  It  was  even  said,  that  General  Price  had  been  sum 
moned  to  the  War  Office  before  Beauregard  had  left  his  army, 
and  that  strong  animadversions  upon  his  conduct  had  been 
made.  But,  whether  so  or  not,  it  is  certain  that  great  misrep 
resentations  concerning  him  were  abroad  on  all  sides.  On  the 
part  of  the  Xorth,  there  was  either  distinct  and  barefaced 
falsehood  or  gross  error  in  some  of  the  official  reports,  unless 
the  testimony  of  all  writers  and  personal  witnesses  on  the  side 
of  the  South  must  be  considered  as  blindly  mistaken,  emanating 
from  carelessly  following  each  other's  statements.  The  whole 
affair,  however,  resolved  itself  into  something  like  a  personal 
matter  between  Generals  Halleck  and  Beauregard,  in  which,  it 
would  seem,  the  veracity  of  each  was  on  trial.  The  question 
arose  as  to  whether  Halleck's  official  dispatch  to  Washington, 
dated  June  4th,  1S62,  was  correct.  This,  General  Beauregard 
denied,  in  a  letter  dated  the  17th  of  June,  and  published  in  the 


238  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

Mobile  Advertiser.  That  statement  elicited  from  General 
Granger,  of  the  Northern  army,  a  very  strong  reply,  published 
in  the  New  York  papers,  July  llth,  and  also,  a  similar  response 
from  an  anonymous  writer  in  the  Cincinnati  Gazette.  Both  of 
these  asserted  Beauregard  to  be  wrong  in  his  statements  ;  but, 
as  the  correspondence  is  too  long,  we  leave  the  subject  without 
further  comment. 

For  some  time  after  General  Beauregard  retired  from 
Corinth,  he  resided  with  his  family  at  Mobile,  and  at  Bladon 
Springs,  Alabama,  at  which  latter  place  he  rapidly  regained 
his  health.  His  mind,  however,  was  still  active  in  the  work  of 
military  operations,  and  two  important  letters,  to  be  found  in 
the  New  York  Tribune  of  October,  1862,  show  the  bent  of 
his  ideas. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1862,  General  Beauregard  was  ap 
pointed  to  the  command  of  the  department  of  South  Carolina 
and  Georgia,  relieving  General  Pemberton  ;  and  on  the  24th 
of  September  he  issued  the  following  announcement : 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  S.  CAROLINA  A'ND  GEORGIA,) 
CHARLESTON,  September  24,  1804.    \ 

I  assume  command  of  the  department  pursuant  to  para 
graph  XV.,  Special  Orders,  No.  202,  Adjutant  and  Inspector 
General's  Office,  Richmond,  August  29th,  1862. 

All  existing  orders  will  remain  in  force  until  otherwise  di 
rected  from  these  headquarters. 

In  entering  upon  my  duties,  which  may  involve,  at  an 
early  day,  the  defence  of  two  of  the  most  important  cities  in 
the  Confederate  States,  against  the  most  formidable  efforts  of 
our  powerful  enemy,  I  shall  rely  on  the  ardent  patriotism,  the 
intelligent  and  unconquerable  spirit,  of  the  officers  and  men  un 
der  my  command,  to  sustain  me  successfully.  But  to  maintain 
our  posts  with  credit  to  our  country  and  to  our  own  honor,  and 
avoid  irremediable  disaster,  it  is  essential  that  all  shall  yield 
implicit  obedience  to  any  orders  emanating  from  superior  au 
thority. 

Brigadier-general  Thomas  Jordan  is  announced  as  Adju 
tant  and  Inspector-general  and  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  department. 
G.  T.  BEAUREGARD,  General  commanding. 

Official— THOMAS  JORDAN,  Chief  of  Staff,  and  A.  A.  G." 


GENERAL  PETER  GUSTAVE  TOUT ANT  BEAUREGARD.     239 

A  few  days  afterwards,  he  proceeded  to  Savannah,  and  at 
once  commenced  an  inspection  of  the  batteries  and  fortifica 
tions  on  the  river.  But,  whatever  might  have  been  his  opin 
ions,  it  seems  that  the  citizens  had  no  hopes  of  the  city  being 
able  to  hold  itself  against  any  attack  of  the  Federals,  when 
once  fairly  commenced.  This,  as  we  now  know,  has  been 
verified,  by  its  capture,  in  December,  1864,  by  the  Federal 
forces,  under  General  Sherman. 

In  October,  the  Federals,  at  first  under  the  command  of  Gen 
eral  O.  M.  Mitchell,  but  upon  his  death,  under  General  Bran- 
nan,  temporarily  commanding,  made  an  attempt  to  destroy  the 
railroad  and  bridges  on  the  Charleston  and  Savannah  line. 
This  was  planned  by  General  Mitchell  some  time  previous,  but 
his  illness  prevented  its  execution,  until  the  22d  of  October, 
when  they  were  met  by  a  part  of  Beauregard's  forces,  and  re 
pulsed.  The  following  is  Beauregard's  official  report  of  the 
affair  : 

"  CHARLESTON,  S.  C.,  October  23. 

"The  Abolitionists  attacked  in  force  Pocotaligo  and  Coosa- 
hatchi  yesterday.  They  were  gallantly  repulsed  to  their  gun 
boats,  at  Mackay's  point  and  Bee's  Creek  landing,  by  Colonel 
TV.  S.  "Walker,  commanding  the  district,  and  Colonel  G.  P. 
Harrison,  commanding  the  troops  sent  from  here.  The  enemy 
had  come  in  thirteen  transports  and  gun-boats.  The  Charleston 
and  Savannah  Railroad  is  uninjured.  The  Abolitionists  left 
their  dead  and  wounded  on  the  field  ;  and  our  cavalry  are  in 
hot  pursuit." 

In  the  middle  of  December,  General  Beauregard  recom 
mended  all  non-combatants  in  Charleston  to  leave  the  city,  in 
view  of  the  expected  attack,  threatened  by  the  Federals.  In 
deed  every  thing  about  this  time  had  the  appearance  of  some 
thing  serious  again  about  to  take  place  at  Charleston  ;  and 
though  it  would  seem  that  few  availed  themselves  of  the  hint 
to  go,  yet  military  preparations  continued  with  an  earnestness 
that  warned  the  citizens  of  what  might  be  expected  if  they 
remained. 

On  the  28th  of  December,  a  general  order  was  issued  by 
Beauregard,  for  all  the  troops  to  be  mustered  for  payment  on 
the  last  day  of  the  month,  in  accordance  with  army  regula 
tions.  This  closed  his  military  labors  that  year ;  but  the  exi- 


240  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

gencies  of  the  service,  however,  appear  to  have  been  such  that 
lie  was  unable  to  leave  Charleston  to  visit  his  wife,  who  was 
seriously  ill  at  ]Nrew  Orleans.  General  Butler,  previous  to 
leaving  his  command  there,  had,  it  is  stated,  "sent  a  polite 
note  to  General  Beauregard,  inviting  him  to  visit  his  dying 
wife,  assuring  him  of  every  courtesy  and  protection  possible." 
If  this  be  really  so,  it  is  most  gratifying  to  record  it,  for  such 
is  rather  the  reverse  of  what  has  been  the  public  reputation  of 
the  Federal  general,  in  all  matters  relating  to  the  opposite  sex, 
during  his  administration  at  Xew  Orleans. 

On  the  30th  of  January,  1SG3,  there  occurred,  at  Charleston, 
one  of  those  daring  naval  exploits  which  have  made  the  name 
of  sailors  famous  throughout  the  war,  though  opportunity  for 
many  great  deeds  has  rarely  been  met.  Of  this  spirited  affair, 
our  space  does  not  admit  of  any  detailed  account,  but  the  fol 
lowing  official  notices  explain  it : 

HEADQUARTERS,  LAND  AND  XAVAL  FORCES,  ) 
CHARLESTON,  S.  C.,  January  lil,  18Go.          f 

At  about  five  o'clock  this  morning,  the  Confederate  States 
naval  force,  on  this  station,  attacked  the  United  Stales  block 
ading  fleet  off  the  harbor  of  the  city  of  Charleston,  and  sunk, 
dispersed,  or  drove  off  and  out  of  sight,  for  the  time,  the  en 
tire  hostile  fleet. 

Therefore,  we,  the  undersigned  commanders,  respectively  of 
the  Confederate  States  naval  and  land  forces  in  this  quarter, 
do  hereby  formally  declare  the  blockade  ly  lie3  United  Sfatex  <j 
the  said  city  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  to  be  raided  by  a 
superior  force  of  the  Confederate  States  from  and  after  tit  is  31*2 
day  of  January,  A.  D.,  1863. 

G.  T.  BEAUREGARD, 

General  Commanding. 

D.  N.  INGRAHAM, 

Flag  officer  commanding  naval  forces  in  South  Carolina. 
Official,— THOMAS  JORDAN,  Chief  of  Staff. 

In  the  afternoon,  General  Beauregard  placed  a  steamer  at 
the  disposal  of  the  foreign  consuls  to  see  for  themselves  that  no 
blockade  existed. 

The  French  and  Spanish  consuls,  accompanied  by  General 
Eipley,  accepted  the  invitation.  The  British  Consul,  with  the 


GENERAL  PETER  GUSTAYE  TOUT ANT  BEAUREGARD. 

commander  of  the  British  war  steamer  Petrel,  had  previously 
gone  five  miles  beyond  the  usual  anchorage  of  the  blockaders, 
and  could  see  nothing  of  them  with  glasses. 

Later  in  the  evening,  however,  four  blockaders  reappeared, 
and  next  day  several  more;  but  the  consuls,  meeting  again  in 
the  evening,  were  "  unanimously  of  the  opinion  that  the  block 
ade  had  been  legally  raised,"  and  drew  up  a  report  in  accord 
ance  with  that  view.  This  was  promptly  met  by  the  Federal 
commanders  issuing  a  counter  statement,  in  official  form,  deny 
ing  the  result  of  the  engagement  as  given  by  the  Confederate 
officers,  and  positively  asserting  that  the  blockade  had  not  been 
broken.  This  statement  was  signed  by  six  naval  commanders, 
and  sent  to  Washington  by  Admiral  Dupont,  and,  of  course, 
calmed  the  uneasiness  that  had  been  somewhat  felt  on  hearing 
of  Beauregard's  proclamation.  With  regard  to  the  correctness 
of  either  side — supported  as  each  was  by  equal  testimony — we 
have  nothing  to  do  at  present. 

A  few  days  afterwards,  intimations  were  received  at  Charles 
ton,  that  a  combined  land  and  naval  attack — long  in  prepara 
tion — would  be  made  by  the  Federals  on  the  city,  and,  accord 
ingly,  General  Beauregard  issued  the  following  proclamation  : 

HEADQUARTERS,  DEPARTMENT  or  SOUTH  CAROLINA,  ) 
GEORGIA,  AND  FLORIDA,  February  18,  1863.       J 

It  has  become  my  solemn  duty  to  inform  the  authorities  and 
citizens  of  Charleston  and  Savannah,  that  the  movements  of 
the  enemy's  fleet  indicate  an  early  land  and  naval  attack  on 
one  or  buth  ci;ies,  and  to  urge  that  persons  unable  to  take  an 
active  part  in  the  struggle  shall  retire. 

It  is  hoped,  however,  that  the  temporary  separation  of  some 
of  you  from  your  homes  will  be  made  without  alarm  or  undue 
haste,  thus  showing  that  the  only  feeling  which  animates  you  in 
this  hour  of  supreme  trial  is  the  right  of  being  able  to  partici 
pate  in  the  defence  of  your  homes,  your  altars,  and  the  graves 
of  your  kindred. 

Carolinians  and  Georgians!  the  hour  is  at  hand  to  prove 
your  country's  cause.  Let  all  able-bodied  men,  from  the  sea 
board  to  the  mountains,  rush  to  arms.  Be  not  too  exacting  in 
the  choice  of  weapons.  Pikes  and  scythes  will  do  for  exter 
minating  your  enemies,  spades  and  shovels  for  protecting  your 

16 


242  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

firesides.     To  arms,  fellow- citizens !     Come  to  share  with  us 
our  danger,  our  brilliant  success,  our  glorious  death. 

G.  T.  BEAUREGARD,  General  Commanding. 
Official,— 3.  M.  OTEY,  A.  A.  G. 

At  the  same  time,  he  ordered  that  "  all  furloughs  to  officers, 
non-commissioned  officers,  and  privates  belonging  to  this  de 
partment,  not  based  on  surgeon's  certificates,  are  revoked,  and 
both  officers  and  soldiers  will  repair  without  delay  to  their  re 
spective  stations,  to  be  ready  to  meet  the  enemy.  Patriots 
and  brave  soldiers  will  not  linger  by  the  wayside." 

The  expected  attack  was,  however,  delayed,  as  the  Charles- 
tonians  alleged,  until  the  highest  spring  tides,  in  April,  would 
enable  the  enemy's  ships  to  float  off  in  the  case  of  any  of  them 
going  aground. 

In  the  month  of  March,  various  minor  engagements  took 
place,  in  the  department  under  Beauregard's  command,  but  we 
must  pass  them  over  to  come  to  the  more  important  matters 
connected  with  the  attack  upon  Charleston.  Great  prepara 
tions  had  been  completed,  under  Beauregard's  supervision,  and 
the  immediate  direction  of  General  Ripley,  who  had  made  the 
study  of  heavy  ordnance  a  specialty  for  years,  and  whose  ex 
cellence  in  that  particular  branch  of  military  knowledge  was 
generally  admitted.  It  was  well  known  that  the  enemy 
was  making  the  most  formidable  preparations,  and  it  was  con 
sidered,  at  Charleston,  that  when  the  struggle  came,  it  would 
certainly  be  of  a  fearful  character.  It  was  to  be  a  trial  be 
tween  new  forces  of  tremendous  powers,  never  before  brought 
into  use.  The  long  mooted  question  of  the  fighting  value  of 
ships  against  batteries  was  to  be  brought  to  a  test  more  con 
clusive  than  any  to  which  human  warfare  had  previously  sub 
jected  it.  In  other  words,  monitor  ironclads,  which  were 
claimed  to  be  the  most  impenetrable  vessels  ever  constructed, 
would  necessarily  come  within  point-blank  range  of  the  most 
numerous  and  powerful  batteries  that  had  ever  been  used  in  a 
single  engagement.  The  more  important  of  these  batteries 
were  manned  by  the  South  Carolina  regulars,  who  were  con 
sidered  the  most  expert  and  practical  heavy  artillerists  in  the 
Confederate  army.  The  forts  were  well  officered,  and  it  was 
thought  scarcely  possible  that  any  floating  thing  could  breast, 


GENERAL   PETER   GUSTAVE   TOUTANT   BEAUREGARD.  243 

unharmed,  the  concentrated  storm  of  heavy  metal  from  the 
guns  of  Sumter,  Moultrie,  and  Battery  Bee,  the  three  principal 
works  commanding  the  throat  of  the  harbor. 

At  length,  to  use  the  words  of  the  Charlestonians  themselves, 
the  long  delayed  hour  arrived.  The  attack  on  the  city, 
threatened  for  more  than  a  year,  was  imminent.  Charleston 
was  the  heart,  as  she  was  the  head  and  front  of  all  the  offence 
against  the  North.  Through  her  closely  blockaded  port  a  hun 
dred  vessels  had  borne  to  the  hands  of  the  young  Confederacy 
the  means  and  material  of  war.  To  effect  the  absolute  destruc 
tion,  therefore,  of  that  port  was  the  natural  wish  of  its  enemies. 
But,  as  the  people  said,  with  the  loftiest  hope,  the  sternest 
courage,  and  the  unconquerable  resolve  never  to  submit  or 
yield,  they  were  determined  to  go  forth  to  the  struggle  con 
scious  of,  and  equal  to  the  great  duties  before  them. 

That  it  may  be  understood  what  was  the  force  employed  by 
the  North  in  the  attack  upon  Charleston,  we  append  the  fol 
lowing  brief  statement  of  the  actual  number  of  officers,  men, 
and  guns  engaged  in  the  attack  on  Charleston.  The  ironclads 
were  all  Ericsson  Monitors,  save  the  New  Ironsides  and  Keo- 
kuk: 

Tuns.  Guns.  Officers  and 

Men. 

Ironsides... ..3,486  18  350 

Montauk , 884  2  100 

Passaic 884  2  100 

CatskiU ,.  884  2  100 

Weehawken 884  2  100 

Patapsco... 884  2  100 

Sangamon 884  2  100 

Nahant 884  2  100 

Nantucket 884  2  100 

Keokuk 740  2  100 

Total 11,298  36  1,250 

The  officers  of  these  vessels  were  natives  of  the  following 

o 

States:  Captain  Thomas  Turner,  Virginia;  Captain  John  S. 
Worden,  New  York  ;  Captain  Percival  Drayton,  South  Caro 
lina;  Captain  John  Rogers,  Maryland;  Captain  John  Downs, 
Massachusetts;  Captain  G.  W.  Eodgers,  New  York;  Captain 
Daniel  Ammen,  Ohio;  Captain  D.  M,  F.  Fairfax,  Virginia; 
Captain  A.  D.  Ehind,  New  York 

These  vessels,  and  their  brave  commanders,  were  all  ready 


244:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

for  the  attack  on  Sunday,  April  the  5th,  and  the  grand  en 
gagement  took  place  on  the  next  Tuesday,  April  7th.  The 
following  account  of  it  deserves  insertion  here,  as  giving  the 
history  from  the  Southern  point  of  view,  and  as  not  materially 
contradicted  by  the  official  accounts  in  the  North  : 

"  At  two  o'clock  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  a  dispatch  from  Fort 
Sumter  announced  that  these  ten  vessels  had  crossed  the  bar, 
and  were  cautiously  steaming  inward — the  foremost  one  hav 
ing  at  that  time  reached  a  point  about  three  thousands  yards 
from  the  Fort.  The  next  news  was  brought  to  us,  an  hour 
later,  by  the  dull  detonation  of  the  first  gun  from  Fort  Moul- 
trie,  which  was  immediately  answered  by  a  heavy  report,  and 
a  cloud  of  white  smoke  from  the  turret  of  one  of  the  monitors. 
At  ten  minutes  after  three,  the  enemy  having  come  within 
range,  Fort  Sumter  opened  her  batteries,  and,  almost  simul 
taneously,  the  white  smoke  could  be  seen  puffing  from  the  low 
sandhills  of  Morris  and  Sullivan's  islands,  indicating  that  the 
Beauregard  battery  on  the  left,  and  Battery  Wagner,  on  the 
extreme  right,  had  become  engaged.  Five  of  the  ironclads, 
forming  in  line  of  battle  in  front  of  Fort  Sumter,  maintained  a 
very  rapid  return  fire,  occasionally  hurling  their  fifteen-inch 
shot  and  shell  against  Fort  Moultrie  and  minor  batteries,  but 
all  directing  their  chief  efforts  against  the  east  face  of  Fort 
Sumter.  Gradually,  but  visibly,  the  distance  between  the 
attacking  vessels  and  the  fort  was  lessened,  and  as  the  enemy 
drew  nearer,  the  firing  became  hot  and  almost  continuous. 

"About  half  past  four  o'clock,  the  battle  became  fierce  and 
general.  The  scene  at  that  hour,  as  viewed  from  the  battery 
promenade,  was  truly  grand.  Battery  Bee  had  now  mingled 
the  hoarse  thunder  of  its  guns  in  the  universal  din,  and  the 
whole  expanse  of  the  harbor  entrance,  from  Sullivan's  Island 
to  Cummings'  Point,  became  enveloped  in  the  smoke  and  con 
stant  flashes  of  the  conflict.  The  ironclads  kept  constantly 
shifting  their  position ;.  but,  whichever  way  they  went,  their 
ports,  always  turned  towards  the  battlements  of  Sumter,  poured 
forth  their  terrible  projectiles  against  the  walls  of  that  famous 
stronghold.  Ever  and  anon,  as  the  huge  shot  went  ricochet- 
ting  towards  the  mark,  the  water  was  dashed  up  in  vast  sheets 
of  spray,  towering  far  above  the  parapet  of  the  fort,  while  the 
wreaths  of  smoke  constantly  ascending  from,  the  barbette  guns, 


GENERAL    PETER    GUSTAVE    TOUT  ANT    BEAUREGARD.  24:5 

showed  how  actively  the  artillerymen  of  the  post  were  dis 
charging  their  duties.  In  the  foreground  our  own  staunch 
little  ironclads — the  Palmetto  State  and  Chicora — could  be 
seen  steaming  energetically  up  and  down  their  chosen  fighting 
position,  evidently  impatient  to  participate  in  the  fray." 

!N"ext  morning  the  Keokuk  sunk,  having  been  kept  afloat 
during  the  night  by  means  of  her  pumps  ;  and  during  the  day, 
Admiral  Dupont,  feeling  convinced  of  the  "utter  impractica 
bility  of  taking  the  city  of  Charleston  with  the  force  under  his 
command,''  determined  not  to  renew  the  fight.  He,  therefore, 
recrossed  the  bar,  and,  on  the  12th,  the  whole  fleet,  except  the 
New  Ironsides,  returned  to  Port  Royal. 

Immediately  after  the  engagement,  Beauregard  issued  the 
following  congratulatory  order  to  his  troops : 

HEADQUARTERS,  DEPARTMENT  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA,  GEORGIA,  AND  i 
FLORIDA,  CHARLESTON,  S.  C.,  April  10,  1863.     ) 

The  commanding  general  is  gratified  to  have  to  announcb 
to  the  troops  the  following  joint  resolutions  unanimously 
adopted  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  South  Carolina: 

"Resolved,  That  the  General  Assembly  reposes  unbounded 
confidence  in  the  ability  and  skill  of  the  commanding  general 
of  this  department,  and  the  courage  and  patriotism  of  his  brave 
soldiers,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  to  defend  our  beloved  city, 
and  to  beat  back  our  vindictive  foes. 

"  Resolved,  That  his  Excellency,  the  Governor,  be  instructed 
to  communicate  this  resolution  to  General  Beauregard." 

Soldiers  !  the  eyes  of  your  countrymen  are  now  turned  upon 
you  on  the  eve  of  the  second  anniversary  of  the  13th  of  April, 
1861,  when  the  sovereignty  of  the  State  of  South  Carolina  was 
triumphantly  vindicated  within  the  harbor  which  we  are  now 
to  defend.  The  happy  issue  of  the  action  on  the  7th  instant — 
the  stranded,  riddled  wreck  of  the  iron-mailed  Keokuk,  her 
baffled  coadjutors  forced  to  retire  beyond  the  range  of  our 
guns,  have  inspired  confidence  in  the  country  that  our  ultimate 
success  will  be  complete.  An  inestimably  precious  charge  has 
been  confided  to  your  keeping,  with  every  reliance  on  your 
manhood  and  enduring  patriotism. 

By  command  of        GENERAL  BEAUREGARD. 

THOMAS  JORDAN,  Chief  of  Staff. 

JOHN  M.  OTEY,  A.  A.  G. 


246  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

It  is  a  curious  coincidence  of  war,  says  the  Charleston  Cou 
rier,  that  the  commanders — Generals  Beauregard  and  Ripley, 
Colonel  Rhett,  and  Lieutenant-colonel  Yates — with  nearly  all 
the  garrison  of  Fort  Snmter,  are  the  same  men  who  were  the 
chief  actors  in  the  bloodless  reduction  of  Fort  Sumter  in  1861, 
and  who  have  now  so  gloriously  and  successfully  repelled  a 
formidable  attack  upon  this  famous  fortress,  while  in  their 
keeping. 

In  the  month  of  April,  there  was  some  question  in  the  Con 
federate  Congress  about  changing  the  form  and  arrangement 
of  their  flag,  and  in  reference  to  it,  Beauregard,  on  the  24th  of 
April,  wrote  to  a  friend :  "  Why  change  our  battle  flag,  con 
secrated  by  the  best  blood  of  our  country  on  so  many  battle 
fields?  A  good  design  for  the  national  flag  would  be  the 
present  battle-flag  as  Union  Jack,  and  the  rest  all  white  or  all 
blue."  This  idea  was  adopted  by  the  Congress,  on  the  1st  of 
May,  and  thenceforth  the  Confederate  flag  was  a  white  field,— 
tlie  length  double  the  width,  with  the  union  to  be  a  square  of 
two-thirds  the  width  of  the  flag,  having  the  ground  red,  there 
on  a  broad  saltire  of  blue,  bordered  with  white,  and  embla 
zoned  white  mullets  or  five-pointed  stars,  corresponding  in 
number  to  the  Confederate  States. 

The  month  of  May  passed  without  any  important  move 
ments  calling  for  General  Beauregard's  personal  supervision. 
He  went  on  a  tour  of  inspection  along  the  coast  and  in  Florida, 
and  returned  to  Charleston  on  the  llth  of  June.  At  that  time 
he  was  visited  by  an  English  military  officer  of  distinction, 
Lieutenant-colonel  Frernaritle,  then  having  a  three  months'  run 
through  the  Southern  States,  and,  from  the  published  account 
given  by  that  gentleman,  we  extract  the  following: 

"  General  Beauregard  was  extremely  civil  to  me,  and  ar 
ranged  that  I  should  see  some  of  the  land  fortifications  to-mor 
row.  He  spoke  to  me  of  the  inevitable  necessity,  sooner  or 
later,  of  a  war  between  the  Northern  States  and  Great  Britain  ; 
and  he  remarked  that,  if  England  would  join  the  South  at 
once,  the  Southern  armies,  relieved  of  the  present  blockade, 
and  enormous  Yankee  pressure,  would  be  able  to  march  right 
into  the  Northern  States,  and,  by  occupying  their  principal 
cities,  would  give  the  Yankees  so  much  employment,  that  they 
would  be  unable  to  spare  many  men  for  Canada.  He  acknowl- 


GENERAL  PETER  GUSTAVE  TOUT ANT  BKAUREGARD.      217 

edged   that  in  Mississippi   General  Grant  had  displayed  un 
common  vigor,  and  met  with  considerable  success He 

considered  the  question  of  ironclads  versus  forts  as  settled, 
especially  when  the  fire  from  the  latter  is  plunging.  If  the 
other  monitors  had  approached  as  close  as  the  Keokuk,  they 
would  probably  have  shared  her  fate.  He  thought  that  both 
flat-headed  rifled  7-inch  bolts,  and  solid  10-inch  balls  pene 
trated  the  ironclads  when  within  1200  yards.  He  agreed 
with  General  Ripley  that  the  15-inch  gun  is  rather  a  failure; 
it  is  so  unwieldy,  that  it  can  only  be  fired  very  slowly,  and 
the  velocity  of  the  ball  is  so  small  that  it  is  very  difficult  to 
strike  a  moving  object.  He  said  that  Fort  Sumter  was  to  be 
covered,  by  degrees,  with  the  long  green  moss  which,  in  this 
country,  hangs  down  from  the  trees;  and  his  opinion  was  that 
when  this  was  pressed,  it  would  deaden  the  effect  of  the  shot 
without  being  inflammable.  He  added  that,  even  if  the  walls 
of  Fort  Sumter  were  battered  down,  the  barbette  battery 
would  still  remain,  supported  on  the  piers.  ...  A  caricature 
in  a  New  York  Illustrated  paper,  wherein  President  Davis  and 
General  Beauregard  were  depicted  shoeless  and  in  rags,  con 
templating  a  pair  of  boots,  which  the  latter  suggested  had 
better  be  eaten,  excited  considerable  amusement  when  shown 
to  him  and  a  party,  at  an  excellent  dinner  one  day.  .  .  .  Gen 
eral  Beauregard  told  me  he  had  been  educated  in  the  North, 
and  used  to  have  many  friends  there,  but  that  now  he  would 
sooner  submit  to  the  Emperor  of  China  than  return  to  the 
Union.  .  .  .  Before  parting,  he  told  me  that  his  official  orders, 
both  from  the  government  and  from  the  town  council,  were, 
that  he  was  to  allow  Charleston  to  be  laid  in  ashes  sooner  than 
surrender  it ;  the  Confederates  being  unanimous  in  their  de 
termination  that,  whatever  happened,  the  capital  of  South 
Carolina  should  n^ver  have  to  submit  to  the  fate  of  New  Or 
leans.  But  he  did  not  at  all  anticipate  that  such  an  alterna 
tive  was  imminent.  In  answer  to  my  thanks  for  his  kindness 
and  courtesy,  he  said  that  the  more  Europeans  that  came  to 
the  South,  the  more  the  Southerners  were  pleased,  as  seeing 
was  the  only  way  to  remove  many  prejudices.  He  declared 
every  thing  here  was  open  and  above  board,  and  I  really  be 
lieve  this  is  the  case." 

In  the  month  of  June  renewed  preparations  were  made  by 


24:8  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

the  Federal  authorities  to  take  Charleston,  arid  a  change  of 
naval  and  military  commanders  was  made  in  the  forces  sent  to 
work.  Admiral  Dahlgren  was  appointed  to  command  the 
sea  expedition,  and  General  Gilmore  the  troops  on  land.  These 
latter,  since  April,  had  established  themselves  on  Folly  Island, 
south  of,  and  next  to  Morris  Island,  which  is  a  strip  of  land 
fringing  the  ocean,  and  having  a  battery  at  its  northern  point, 
bearing  directly  on  Fort  Sumter,  and  the  channel  leading  to 
the  city.  This  battery  was  the  goal  aimed  at  by  the  enemy, 
and  though  several  attempts  had  been  made  by  the  Confederate 
forces  to  dislodge  him  from  the  footing  he  had  gained,  they 
were  unsuccessful. 

At  Charleston,  the  force  there  had  been  greatly  reduced  by 
the  Confederate  authorities,  under  the  idea  that  all  was  safe 
from  further  attacks  of  the  enemy,  and  thus  General  Beaure- 
gard  was  left  with  inadequate  means  to  provide  against  as 
saults  in  no  less  than  five  different  directions.  For  a  number 
of  weeks  the  Federal  troops  had  been  busily  engaged  on  Folly 
Island,  working  under  cover  of  the  night,  and  screened  by 
carefully  arranged  brushwood  during  the  day.  In  this  man 
ner,  batteries  were  thrown  up,  and  guns  and  mortars  put  in 
position. 

The  attack  upon  Morris  Island  was  at  last  made  by  the 
enemy  on  July  10th,  and  "  after  an  engagement  of  three  hours 
and  a  quarter  all  the  strongholds  upon  that  part  of  the  island 
were  captured,  and  the  infantry  pushed  forward  to  within  six 
hundred  yards  of  Fort  Wagner,"  while  four  monitors,  under 
Admiral  Dahlgren,  engaged  that  fort,  and  the  battery  at 
Cummings'  Point. 

The  following  is  General  Beauregard's  official  announcement 
of  it : 

CHARLESTON,  July  13,  1863. 
To  GENERAL  S.  COOPER,  Adjutant  and  Inspector-general : 

There  is  nothing  new  since  yesterday.  The  enemy  is  en 
gaged  in  establishing  batteries  for  long  range-guns  on  the  mid 
dle  of  Morris  Island,  being  aided  by  five  monitors.  Their 
wooden  gunboats  are  firing  on  batteries  Wagner  and  Gregg, 
on  the  north  end  of  Morris  Island. 

G.  T.  BEAUREGARD. 


GENERAL    PETER    GUSTAVE    TOUTANT    BEAURP:GARD.  24:9 

The  Richmond  Enquirer  of  the  13th  gives  the  following  of 
ficial  dispatches  from  General  Beauregard : 

CHARLESTON,  July  10,  1863. 
To  GENEAL  COOPER,  Adjutant  and  Inspector-general : 

At  dark  on  the  10th,  the  enemy  obtained  possession  of  the 
southern  portion  of  Morris  Island.  Four  monitors  engaged 
Battery  Wagner  and  the  battery  at  Cummings'  Point  all  day 
without  damage  or  casualties,  but  the  losses  in  opposing  the 
landing  were  severe.  Three  hundred  were  killed  and  wounded, 
including  sixteen  officers.  The  enemy's  loss  is  evidently  heavy. 

G.,  T.  BEAUREGARD. 

CHARLESTON,  July  10—11 : 30  P.  M. 
To  GENERAL  COOPER, — 

The  enemy  has  a  threatening  force  on  the  lower  front  of 
James  Island,  along  the  Stono,  and  an  attempt  was  made  to 
destroy  the  Savannah  Railroad  bridge,  but  was  foiled  with  the 

loss  of  one  steamboat. 

G.  T.  BEAUREGARD. 

The  events  of  the  next  four  weeks  may  be  summed  up  in  a 
few  lines  ;  for,  to  give  any  thing  like  details  of  what  occurred 
during  this  remarkable  siege  of  Charleston,  would  be  to  fill 
an  entire  volume  by  itself;  and,  moreover,  can  not  be  done 
consistently  with  the  purpose  of  this  biographical  sketch. 
We  can  only,  therefore,  throw  in  occasionally  some  striking  in 
cidents  that  will  serve  to  illustrate  our  subject. 

The  remainder  of  the  month  of  July,  and  the  early  part  of 
August,  were  employed  by  the  enemy  in  erecting  siege-works, 
and  mounting  heavy  siege-guns,  preparatory  to  the  bombard 
ment  of  Fort  Sumter,  as  it  was  found  that  Fort  Wagner  did 
not  interfere  with  the  engineer  corps  at  wrork.  Meanwhile  Gen 
eral  Beauregard  and  the  Mayor  of  Charleston  issued  another 
urgent  appeal  to  the  landed  proprietors  and  others  to  send  in 
their  negroes  for  work  on  the  fortifications;  and  the  Governor 
of  the  State  made  an  even  stronger  appeal.  There  was,  how 
ever,  much  indifference  shown  in  promptly  responding ;  and 
though  an  act  of  the  Legislature  had  been  passed,  involving  a 
penalty  on  refusal,  many  of  the  planters  preferred  paying  it 
to  allowing  their  negroes  to  be  so  employed. 


250  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

On  the  17th  of  August  General  Gilmore  opened  his  fire  from 
about  sixty  pieces  on  Fort  Suinter,  while  the  fleet  attacked 
Forts  Gregg  and  Wagner.  The  latter  was  completely  silenced, 
and  the  former  nearly  so.  Throughout  the  day  this  furious 
bombardment  continued,  and  the  shock  of  the  rapid  dis 
charges  trembling  through  the  city,  called  hundreds  of  citizens 
to  the  battery,  wharves,  steeples,  and  various  look-outs,  where, 
with  an  interest  never  felt  before,  they  gazed  on  a  contest  that 
might  decide  the  fate  of  Charleston  itself.  Above  Battery 
Wagner,  bursting  high  in  air,  striking  the  sides  of  the  work, 
or  plunging  into  the  beach,  and  throwing  up  pillars  of  earth, 
were  to  be  seen  the  quickly  succeeding  shells  and  round  shot  of 
the  enemy's  guns.  Battery  Gregg,  at  Cummings'  Point,  and 
Fort  Sum  tor  took  part  in  the  thundering  chorus.  As  the 
shades  of  evening  fell  upon  the  scene,  the  entire  horizon  ap 
peared  to  be  lighted  up  with  the  fitful  flashings  of  the  livid 
flames  that  shot  out  from  monster  guns  on  laud  and  sea. 

Meanwhile  some  sharp  correspondence  had  taken  place  be 
tween  Generals  Beauregard  and  Gilmore,  on  the  mode  of  car 
rying  on  the  war  in  that  department,  but  it  is  too  long  to  in 
sert  here. 

On  the  21st  of  August,  General  Gilmore  addressed  to  Gen 
eral  Beauregard  a  demand  for  the  evacuation  of  Morris  Island 
and  Fort  Sumter,  and  threatening,  if  not  complied  with,  "  in 
less  than  four  hours,  a  fire  would  be  opened  on  the  city  of 
Charleston,  from  batteries  already  established  within  easy  and 
effective  reach  of  the  heart  of  the  city.  In  the  following  night, 
and  without  further  notice,  fire  was  opened  on  the  city  from 
the  Morris  Island  batteries.  Twelve  eight-inch  shells  fell  in 
the  city  ;  and  several  flew  in  the  direction  of  St.  Michael's 
steeple  ;  but  fortunately  no  one  was  injured." 

To  the  demand  of  General  Gilmore,  General  Beauregard  re 
plied  at  length,  refusing  to  surrender. 

On  the  24th  of  August,  General  Gilmore  announced  in  dis 
patches  to  Washington,  that  "  Fort  Sumter  was  a  shapeless  and 
harmless  mass  of  ruins."  This  appeared  to  be  partly  the  case; 
but  the  following  brief  accounts  of  events,  a  few  days  after 
wards,  show  that  it  was  still  in  possession  of  the  Confederates, 
though  Morris  Island,  Fort  Wagner,  and  Battery  Gregg  had 
to  be  abandoned. 


GENERAL  PETER  GUSTAVE  TOUTANT  BEAUREGARD.     251 

CHARLESTON,  Sept.  7,  1863. 

The  bombardment  was  kept  up  without  intermission  all 
day  yesterday,  and  far  into  the  night.  About  one  hundred 
and  fifty  of  our  men  were  killed  and  wounded  at  Batteries 
Wagner  and  Gregg. 

The  attempt  to  assault  Battery  Gregg  was  repulsed  before 
the  enemy  had  completed  their  landing.  Great  havoc  is  sup 
posed  to  have  been  made  in  the  enemy's  boats  by  our  grape 
and  canister. 

At  dark  on  Monday,  the  enemy  having  advanced  their  sap 
pers  up  to  the  very  moat  of  Wagner,  and  it  being  impossible 
to  hold  the  island  longer,  General  Beauregard  ordered  its 
evacuation,  which  was  executed  between  8  P.  M.,  and  1  A.  M., 
with  success.  We  spiked  the  guns  of  Wagner  and  Gregg,  and 
withdrew  noiselessly  in  forty  barges.  Only  one  barge,  con 
taining  twelve  men,  was  captured. 

The  enemy  now  holds  Cummings'  Point,  in  full  view  of  the 
city. 

All  quiet  this  morning. 

CHARLESTON,  Sept.  7,  Noon. 

A  dispatch  from  Major  Stephen  Elliot,  commanding  at  Fort 
Sumter,  announces  that  a  flag  of  truce,  demanding  the  imme 
diate  surrender  of  that  fort,  has  just  been  received  from  Ad 
miral  Dahlgren  by  Lieutenant  Brown,  of  the  steamer  Palmetto 
State. 

General  Beauregard  has  telegraphed  to  Major  Elliot  to 
reply  to  Dahlgren  that  he  can  have  Fort  Sumter  when  he 
takes  it  and  holds  it,  and  that  in  the  mean  time  such  demands 
are  puerile  and  unbecoming. 

CHARLESTON,  Sept.  7,  8  P.  M. 

At  6  o'clock  p.  M.  the  ironclads  and  monitors  approached 
Fort  Sumter  closer  than  usual  and  opened  a  hot  fire  against  it. 
Our  batteries  on  Sullivan's  Island,  including  those  of  Fort 
Moultrie,  replied  heavily.  The  firing  is  still  going  on. 

CHARLESTON,  Sept.  9,  1863. 

GENERAL  COOPFR — Last  night  thirty  of  the  launches  of  the 
enemy  attacked  Fort  Sumter.  Preparations  had  been  made 
for  the  event.  At  a  concerted  signal,  all  the  batteries  bearing 
on  Sumter,  assisted  by  one  gun-boat  and  a  ram,  were  thrown 


252  SOUTHKRN    GENERALS. 

open.  The  enemy  was  repulsed,  leaving  in  our  hands  one 
hundred  and  thirteen  prisoners,  including  thirteen  officers. 
"We  also  took  four  boats  and  three  colors. 

G.  T.  BEAUREGARD. 

CHARLESTON,  Sept.  9,  1863. 

The  enemy  is  silent  to-day.  General  Beauregard  refuses  to 
have  any  communication  with  the  Yankee  flag  of  truce  until 
an  explanation  is  given  of  their  firing  on  our  truce  boats. 

We  took  the  original  flag  of  Fort  Sumter  which  Major  An 
derson  was  compelled  to  lower,  and  which  Dahlgren  had 
hoped  to  replace. 

CHARLESTON,  Sept.  10,  1863. 

There  was  no  firing  last  night  except  from  our  batteries. 
The  enemy  is  working  hard  on  Morris  Island.  All  is  quiet 
this  morning. 

After  this  repulse  of  the  Federals  in  their  last  attack  upon 
"  the  shapeless  and  harmless  mass  of  ruins''  of  Fort  Sumter, 
but  little  more  was  done  during  the  year  by  the  enemy,  ex 
cept  bombarding  the  forts,  and  shelling  Charleston  at  intervals 
during  day  and  night,  until  such  became  so  customary  to  the 
citizens,  says  a  foreign  writer  visiting  the  place,  that  it  no 
longer  produced  the  fear  and  dismay  it  formerly  did. 

During  this  period,  Beauregard  paid  a  just  tribute  to  the 
Confederate  navy,  in  an  official  order,  as  follows  : 

HEADQUARTERS,  DEPARTMENT  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA, 

GEORGIA,  AND  FLORIDA, 
CHARLESTON,  S.  C.,  Oct.  28,  1863. 

The  commanding  general  feels  it  his  duty  to  publish  to  the 
forces  and  to  the  country  the  names  of  the  stout-hearted  offi 
cers  and  men  of  the  Confederate  States  navy,  who,  on  the 
night  of  the  5th  inst,  assailed  and  so  nearly  destroyed  the 
United  States  ironclad  steam  frigate,  New  Ironsides,  at  her 
moorings  off  Morris  Island.  -  Lieutenant  "Win.  T.  Glassell, 
Acting  Assistant  Engineer  J.  H.  Toombs,  Pilot  Wm.  Cannon, 
Fireman  James  Sullivan,  were  volunteers  for  the  service, 
which  they  executed  with  a  skill  and  coolness  commensurate 
with  their  daring.  Their  country  cannot  forget  their  brave 


GENERAL  PETER  GUSTAYE  TOUTANT  BEAUREGAED.     2o3 

endeavor,  though  unsuccessful,  and  it  will  surely  inspire  offi 
cers  and  men  of  both  arms  of  the  service  to  emulate  them. 

They  have  shown  what  four  resolute  men  can  accomplish. 
The  example  must  not  be  barren. 

By  command  of 

General  BEAUREGARD. 
THOMAS  JOKDAN,  Chief  of  Staff. 

The  year  1863  now  closed  with  nothing  more  of  importance 
to  record  concerning  Beauregard's  movements.  Carefully 
attentive  to  the  duties  of  his  post,  he  appears  to  have  been  al 
ways  present  at  official  headquarters,  unless  away  visiting 
other  portions  of  his  department.  In  February,  1864-,  he  was 
at  Savannah  ;  and,  in  the  early  part  of  March,  in  Florida, 
where  he  issued  a  proclamation,  dated  from  near  Baldwin, 
having  reference  to  deserters  from  the  Confederate  army,  and 
ordering  all  others  who  were  bound  to  give  military  service, 
and  yet  evaded  it  on  account  of  their  families  needing  their 
personal  attention,  to  do  such  work,  for  just  pay,  in  the  dis 
trict,  as  would  be  of  material  help  to  the  cause. 

At  this  time  occurred  the  death  of  his  wife  at  NQW  Orleans, 
on  the  2d  of  March,  1864,  and  in  referring  to  her,  the  New 
Orleans  papers  pay  a  very  high  tribute  of  respect  and  esteem 
to  her  memory. 

It  appears  that  General  Beauregard  was  not  able  to  attend 
the  funeral  ;  but  the  following  letter  was  afterwards  sent  by 
him  to  express  his-  obligations  for  the  general  sympathy 
shown : 

CHARLESTON,  March  28,  1864. 

GENTLEMEN  : — Accept  for  yourselves,  and  for  the  other  offi 
cers  and  soldiers  from  Louisiana,  who  met  with  you  at  Mobile, 
on  the  19th  instant,  my  heartfelt  thanks  for  the  lofty  and 
touching  sentiments  expressed  in  the  resolutions  you  were 
pleased  to  pass  on  the  occasion  of  the  sad  event  which  has 
torn  from  me  a  most  dear  and  beloved  wife,  and  from  the  State 
to  which  she  belonged,  one  of  its  brightest  jewels  and  orna 
ments.  Mrs.  Beauregard  died  a  martyr  to  our  cause.  Her 
continued  and  long  separation  fram  the  chosen  one  of  her 
heart,  under  the  trying  circumstances  she  had  to  pass  through, 
was  more  than  her  careworn  and  enfeebled  condition  could 


254  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

endure.  Yet  she  departed  not  from  life  without  giving  utter 
ance  to  her  undirainished  devotion  to  that  noble  cause,  and  to 
her  unshaken  faith  in  its  ultimate  triumph.  She  was  a  true 
and  fervent  patriot.  The  foul  breath  of  even  the  most  vile 
among  the  vilest  of  our  enemies  never  could  taint  the  pure 
atmosphere  that  surrounded  her. 

How  bright,  how  glorious  I  would  deem  the  day  on  which 
it  were  given  to  me,  at  the  head  of  my  brave,  and  so  hard- 
tried  compatriots,  to  rescue,  with  her  hallowed  grave,  the  noble 
State  that  bestowed  such  honors  upon  her  remains,  from  the 
footsteps  of  the  foe  who  pollutes  them  by  his  presence.  With 
sincere  esteem,  and  sincere  acknowledgments, 

I  remain  yours,  very  truly, 

G.  T.  BEAUREGARD. 
Major  HY.  ST.  PAUL,  Captain  J.  T.  PURVES, 

Lieutenant  CHARLES  ARROYO,  Committee,  Mobile,  Ala. 

In  the  month  of  April,  the  Confederate  authorities  deemed 
it  advisable  to  strengthen  their  forces  in  North  Carolina  and 
around  Richmond,  and  accordingly  the  valuable  services  of 
General  Beauregard  were  called  into  requisition  from  Charles 
ton.  On  the  21st  he  passed  through  Wilmington  with  a  large 
body  of  troops,  and  assumed  command  of  the  district  on  the 
south  and  east  of  Richmond.  General  Butler,  at  the  same 
time,  prepared  to  advance  upon  Richmond  by  the  James  river, 
and  on  the  5th  of  May  landed  a  large  body  of  troops  at  City 
Point,  and  Bermuda  Hundred.  On  the  7th,  he  struck  for  the 
Petersburg  and  Richmond  railroad,  and  succeeded  in  destroy 
ing  a  bridge  seven  miles  from  the  former  place,  thus  giving 
some  hopes  to  the  Federals  that  they  had  effectually  got  into 
the  rear  of  the  Confederate  capital.  But,  on  the  16th  of  May, 
General  Beauregard,  from  Petersburg!!,  suddenly  fell  upon 
his  forces,  in  a  fog,  and  drove  him  back  to  his  original  position 
on  the  James  river.  In  speaking  of  this  fight  the  Rich 
mond  Examiner  says,  "  It  was,  during  the  time  it  lasted,  one 
of  the  most  terrific  combats  that  has  been  known.  Confederate 
valor  never  had  a  more  splendid  illustration."  This  was  fol 
lowed  up,  in  a  few  days,  by  renewed  attacks  on  the  enemy's 
lines,  especially  when  it  became  known  to  Beauregard  that 
General  "Baldy"  Smith's  corps,  and  a  part  of  Gilmore's,  had 


GENERAL  PETER  GUSTAVE  TOUTANT  BEAUREGARD.     255 

left  Butler  to  reinforce  Grant,  then  advancing  towards  the 
Chickahominy. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  at  3  A.  M.,  Beauregard  made  a  heavy  at 
tack  upon  the  Federals'  advanced  line  of  rifle-pits,  near  Ware- 
bottom  Church,  and  succeeded  in  capturing  the  position,  with 
about  one  hundred  prisoners.  A  few  days  afterwards,  how 
ever,  the  Northern  army,  under  Grant,  Meade,  and  Butler, 
were  all  across  the  James  river,  and  Petersburg  besieged. 
Beauregard  had  already  taken  measures  for  its  sure  defence ; 
but  on  some  of  the  first  shells  from  the  enemy  entering  the 
town,  and  striking  a  private  dwelling,  he  sent  a  flag  of  truce 
to  know  why  shelling  was  commenced  without  giving  due 
notice  to  the  non-combatants.  General  Grant  replied,  as  is 
reported,  that  he  did  not  know  he  was  so  near  the  city,  and 
would  cease  shelling  until  further  notice.  If  this  be  correctly 
stated,  it  displays  an  instance  of  great  humanity  on  the  part 
of  General  Grant,  which  we  feel  pleasure  in  recording. 

Towards  the  end  of  June,  the  Confederate  army  was  posted 
in  every  part  of  the  outer  and  inner  defences  of  Petersburg, 
and  thence  to  Kichrnond  ;  Generals  Hill  and  Longstreet  camped 
in  front  of  the  enemy's  advanced  lines, — General  Lee  as  com- 
mander-in-chief,  acting  on  the  left — and  General  Beauregard 
holding  the  town.  And  here  we  can  well  leave  him  for  the 
incidents  of  the  next  few  weeks,  as  our  space  forbids  dwelling 
upon  them  in  detail ;  and,  moreover,  they  are  related,  prin 
cipally,  in  the  sketch  already  given  of  General  Lee. 

On  the  3d  of  October,  General  Beauregard  was  assigned  to 
the  command  of  two  military  departments,  and  the  troops 
therein,  known  as  the  department  of  Tennessee  and  Georgia, 
and  the  department  of  Alabama,  Mississippi  and  East 
Louisiana. 

He  immediately  proceeded  to  the  West,  first  visiting  Gov 
ernor  Brown,  at  Milledgeville  ;  and  then,  via  Columbus, 
Georgia,  on  the  7th,  Opelika,  and  Montgomery  the  next  day, 
Talladega,  Alabama,  on  the  10th,  and  Jacksonville  on  the 
14th.  where  he  joined  Hood's  army,  and  then  issued  an  earnest 
appeal  to  the  people  to  come  forward  and  support  renewed 
efforts  to  drive  the  enemy  from  the  South. 

It  would,  however,  appear  that  Beauregard's  position  now 
was  not  so  much  that  of  a  general  in  the  field,  as  a  military 


256  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

director,  and  corn  in  an  der-in- chief  over  the  western  depart 
ments.  In  some  correspondence  to  the  Charleston  Mercury 
we  find  it  stated  that  he  could  not  take  direct  control  of  either 
Hood's  or  Taylor's  armies,  but  merely  order  them  from  one 
point  to  the  other,  as  he  deemed  advisable.  What  those  move 
ments  were  is  of  so  recent  a  date  that  we  need  not  refer  to 
them  more  than  to  say,  that  their  great  object  was  frustrated 
by  General  Schofield's  victory  over  the  Confederates  at  Nash 
ville,  Tennessee,  and  Sherman's  grand  march  through  Georgia, 
towards  Savannah.  This  latter,  probably  induced  the  author 
ities  at  Richmond  to  recall  Beauregard  from  the  West,  to  su 
perintend  the  defences  at  that  place  ;  for  we  find  it  stated  in 
the  Richmond  Dispatch,  December  12th,  that  he  was  there  in 
conjunction  with  Generals  Hardee,  G.  W.  Smith,  and  R.  Tay 
lor  ;  and  about  that  time  official  orders  extended  his  de 
partment  so  as  to  include  South  Carolina  and  the  Atlantic  sea 
board  of  Georgia. 

When  Savannah  was  surrounded  by  the  Federal  forces,  a 
flag  of  truce  was,  on  December  17th,  sent  in  by  General  Sher 
man,  demanding  the  surrender  of  the  city,  and,  on  the  next 
day,  a  reply  was  given  by  General  Beauregard,  refusing  to 
comply  with  the  demand.  But,  on  Monday,  the  19th,  the  city 
was  evacuated  ;  and  on  the  2iM  we  find  Beauregard  again  at 
Charleston,  notifying  the  Confederate  authorities  at  Richmond, 
that  "  the  enemy,  eight  hundred  strong,  had  occupied  Pollard," 
an  important  station  at  the  junction  of  the  Mobile  and  Great 
Northern  and  Alabama  and  Florida  railroads,  about  seventy 
miles  north  of  Mobile. 

On  the  7th  of  January,  1865,  he  was  at  Macon,  Georgia,  and 
sent  to  Richmond,  Hood's  official  report  of  the  last  battle  in 
front  of  Nashville,  on  December  16th  ;  also  additional  reports 
from  that  general,  dated  Tupelo,  January  6th. 

We  now  close  our  hurried  sketch  of  this  bold,  fearless,  and 
skilful  general,  with  the  following  lines,  copied  from  the 
Wilmington  Courier : — 

When  war-clouds  gathered  about  our  land, 
And  out  of  the  North  came  a  hostile  band, 
Threatening  the  South  with  her  deadly  wrath, 
He  stood  like  a  fire-brand  in  their  path ; 
And  the  Northmen  found  that  the  fight  went  hard, 
When  they  met  our  gallant  Beauregard. 


GENERAL    PETER    GUSTAVE    TOUTANT    BEAUREGARD.  257 

When  tlie  battle  rages  fierce  and  high, 

And  the  rattling  shot  like  hailstones  fly, 

When  the  booming  cannon  roar  and  swell, 

And  the  air  is  filled  with  bursting  shell, 

He's  foremost  there  on  the  blood-drenched  sward, 

And  the  cry  is  "  On  with  Beauregard." 

Like  magic  spark  of  Promethean  fire, 
His  very  name  doth  the  soul  inspire  ; 
And  a  thousand  voices  loud  and  strong, 
Shout  as  he  rideth  the  ranks  along, 
Waving  the  banner  starred  and  barred, 
"  To  glory  or  death  with  Beauregard  !" 

Well  may  the  enemy  quake  with  fear, 
Whene'er  that  terrible  name  they  hear, 
'Mid  the  dash  of  waves  and  cannons  roar ; 
They  heard  it  on  Carolina's  shore, 
When  Sumter,  blackened,  smoked  and  scarred, 
Fell  to  our  valiant  Beauregard. 

That  fearful  day  on  Manassas  plain, 
'Twas  thundered  forth  in  their  ears  again, 
When  madly  over  the  heaps  of  dead, 
The  panic-stricken  hirelings  fled, 
Cursing  the  hour  that  e'er  they  war'd 
With  the  lion-hearted  Beauregard. 

On  the  crimson  field  of  Shiloh,  too, 

W7hen  the  shells  like  shrieking  demons  flew, 

When  the  lurid  smoke  obscured  the  air, 

And  havoc  and  death  were  every  where, 

We  drove  them  back  from  the  blood-stained  sward, 

The  cry  was  still  for  Beauregard. 

There  is  a  page  in  the  book  of  fame — 
On  it  is  written  a  single  name, 
In  letters  of  gold,  on  spotless  white, 
Encircled  with  stars  of  quenchless  light ; 
Never  a  blot  that  page  hath  marred, 
And  the  star-wreathed  name  is  Beauregard. 
17 


GENERAL  JOSEPH  EGGLESTON  JOHNSTON. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

Johnston. — Scotch  Descent. — His  Family. — Early  Life. — Cadet  at  West  Point. — 
Military  Career. — Services  in  Florida. — Anecdote. — In  the  Mexican  War. — Wounded. 
— Promoted. — Chief  of  Quartermaster's  Department. — Resigns,  and  gives  his  Services 
to  the  South. — Commands  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley. — Unites  with  Beauregard. — 
Munassas.- -Characteristics. — Evacuation  of  Manassas. — March  to  Peninsula.— McClel- 
lan. — Prince  de  Joinville. — Yorktown.— Battle  of  Williamsburg. — Letter  to  Jackson. 
— Battle  of  Seven  Pines. — Johnston  Wounded. — Sickness. — Recovery. — Assigned 
to  Command  of  the  West, — His  Movements. — Delicate  Position  with  regard  to  Gen 
eral  Bragg. — Correspondence  on  the  Subject. — Vicksburg. — Infirm  Health.- — On  the 
Field  at  Jackson. — Grant's  Movements. — Battle  of  Baker's  Creek. — Jackson  Camped 
at  Vernon. — Incidents. — Order  to  Evacuate  Port  Hudson. — Fall  of  Vicksburg. — Evac 
uation  of  Jackson. — Visits  Mobile,  etc. — Commands  the  Army  in  the  Field. — Sher 
man  in  Georgia. — Eesaca. — Sherman's  Advance. — Atlanta. — Johnston  Superseded 
by  Hood. — High  Estimate  of  Johnston. 

IN  the  Confederate  array  there  have  been  several  officers  of 
rank  bearing  this  name,  or  a  similar  one,  with  merely  the  let 
ter  t  omitted.  The  subject  of  our  present  sketch,  however,  is 
Joseph  Eggleston  Johnston,  of  Scotch  descent,  and,  formerly, 
Quartermaster-general  in  the  United  States  service,  but,  after 
wards,  in  conjunction  with  Beauregard,  commanding  the 
Southern  forces  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  1861. 

This  brave  and  skilful  officer  was  born  about  the  year  1808, 
in  Prince  Edward  County,  Virginia.  His  father  was  the  late 
Judge  Peter  Johnston,  of  the  general  court  of  Virginia,  dis 
tinguished  alike  at  the  bar,  and  on  the  bench,  for  sound  prac 
tical  sense  and  solid  legal  acquirements.  In  youth,  he  had 
been  serving  as  an  officer  under  Greene,  in  the  campaign  of 
1781,  and  had  borne  himself  honorably  at  Eutaw,  Camden, 
and  other  places.  After  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  Judge 
Johnston  married  Miss  Polly  Wood,  a  niece  of  Patrick  Henry, 
and  "one  of  the  most  accomplished  ladies  of  her  day."  They 
had  a  large  family  of  sons  and  daughters,  to  whose  education 


GENERAL    JOSEPH    EGGLESTON    JOHNSTON.  259 

they  paid  the  greatest  attention,  and  thus  brought  them  np  to 
be  persons  of  superior  understanding.  Among  the  sons, 
Joseph  was  the  youngest,  receiving  the  rudiments  of  education 
in  Abingdon  district,  where  his  father  had  been  appointed 
judge.  At  school,  he  was  noted  as  a  boy  of  quick  parts  and  a 
bold,  enterprising  disposition.  He  was,  also,  possessed  of 
great  fortitude,  and  calm  endurance,  as  was  evinced  at  one 
time,  when,  by  an  accident,  his  arm  was  broken,  he  submitted 
to  the  setting  of  the  limb  with  the  most  stoical  composure, 
and  with  equal  patience  bore  the  after  confinement  necessary 
to  his  situation.  These  traits  of  character,  coupled  with  his 
father's  past  reminiscenses  of  a  military  life,  no  doubt  led  to 
his  adoption  of  the  army  for  a  profession.  In  1829,  he 
graduated  at  West  Point  with  great  credit,  and  was  imme 
diately  assigned  to  the  Fourth  Artillery,  as  brevet  Second- 
lieutenant.  He  remained  there  until  1836,  when  he  was  ap 
pointed  First-lieutenant  and  Assistant  Commissary  of  Sub 
sistence.  In  1838  he  was  made  First-lieutenant  of  Topo 
graphical  Engineers,  and,  in  that  capacity,  served  throughout 
the  Florida  war.  There  he  greatly  distinguished  himself  by 
his  coolness  and  bravery,  during  the  whole  time.  It  is  related 
of  him  that,  "  on  one  occasion  having  been  sent,  under  the 
escort  of  a  party  of  infantry,  to  make  a  survey  or  reconnois- 
sance  of  a  region  which  lay  around  a  lake,  and  having  crossed 
the  lake  in  boats,  the  party  was  waylaid  by  an  ambuscade  of 
Indians,  and  all  its  officers  killed  or  disabled  at  the  first  fire. 
The  men  were  thrown  into  complete  confusion,  and  were  in 
imminent  danger  of  destruction,  when  Lieutenant  Johnston 
took  command,  and  by  his  coolness  and  determination  suc 
ceeded  in  rescuing  them.  He  laid  hold  of  a  small  tree  with 
one  hand,  and,  standing  boldly  out  in  face  of  the  whole  fire  of 
the  savages,  called  upon  the  men  to  rally  and  form  upon  him. 
They  immediately  returned  to  their  duty  and  resumed  the  ac 
tion,  a  perfect  volley  of  balls  sweeping  around.  At  last  one 
struck  Johnston  immediately  above  the  forehead  and  passed 
backward  over  the  skull,  without  fracturing  the  brain,  and  he 
fell,  but  the  troops  had  caught  so  much  of  his  spirit  that  they 
repulsed  the  enemy  and  carried  off  the  wounded  in  safety." 
For  this,  and  other  good  service  during  the  Florida  war,  he 
was  brevetted  captain,  and  in  September,  1846,  became  a  full 


SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

captain  by  seniority.  On  February  16th,  1847,  lie  was  bre- 
vctted  a  lieutenant-colonel  of  voltigeurs  and  sailed  with  the 
expedition  of  General  Scott  to  Mexico.  After  the  capture  of 
Vera  Cruz,  on  the  advance  to  Cerro  Gordo,  he  made  a  most 
daring  reconnoissance,  wherein  he  was  severely,  and,  as  was 
thought  at  the  time,  mortally  wounded.  He  recovered,  how 
ever,  sufficiently  to  resume  his  command,  and  bear  part  in 
the  concluding  battles  of  that  war.  He  distinguished  himself 
at  Molino  del  Pey,  and  Was  again  wounded  at  Chapultepec. 
In  this  latter  engagement,  General  Scott  says  of  him:  "Be 
sides  Generals  Pillow,  Quitrnan,  Shields,  Smith,  and  Cadwal- 
ader,  the  following  are  the  officers  and  corps  most  distin 
guished  in  those  brilliant  operations:  the  voltigeur  regiment, 
in  two  detachments,  commanded,  respectively,  by  Colonel 
Andrews,  and  Lieutenant-colonel  Johnston — the  latter  mostly 
in  the  lead,  accompanied  by  Major  Caldwell  (etc.) — the  former 
the  first  to  plant  a  regimental  color,  and  the  latter  among  the 
first  in  the  assault."  It  is  reported  that  General  Scott  should 
further  say  of  him  "Johnston  is  a  great  soldier,  but  he  has  an 
unfortunate  knack  of  getting  himself  shot  in  nearly  every  en 
gagement."  This  wras  undoubtedly  a  high  testimony  to  his 
merits  as  a  brave  soldier  ;  and,  for  his  gallant  and  meritorious 
conduct,  he  was  several  times  brevetted. 

At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  war  he  Was  retained  as  captain 
in  the  Topographical  Engineers,  and,  at  a  later  date,  was  made 
a  full  colonel  in  the  regular  army.  In  June,  1860,  he  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  quartermaster's  department,  with  the 
rank  of  brigadier-general,  and  was  in  that  post  when  the  pres 
ent  national  strife  commenced.  At  that  time  he  had  a  great 
reputation  for  capacity  and  probity,  and  was  highly  esteemed  ; 
but  he  felt  bound  to  join  the  service  of  his  native  State,  when 
Virginia  seceded,  and  was  immediately  appointed  to  a  high 
command  by  Governor  Letcher.  When,  however,  the  Vir 
ginia  forces  became  absorbed  in  the  general  army  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy,  he  received  a  direct  commission  from 
President  Davis  as  Major-general,  and  proceeded  to  take  com 
mand  of  the  forces  at  Harper's  Perry,  then  temporarily  under 
the  control  of  Colonel  "  Stonewall"  Jackson. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  1861,  General  Johnston  assumed  com 
mand  of  what  was  then  called  the  army  of  the  Shenandoah, 


GENERAL    JOSEPH    EGGLESTON    JOHNSTON.  261 

and,  after  a  complete  reconnoissance  of  Harper's  Ferry  and 
environs,  he  decided  that  the  place  was  untenable,  and,  there 
fore,  determined  to  withdraw  his  troops  to  Winchester.  At 
this  time  General  Patterson  was  advancing,  with  a  strong 
Northern  force,  from  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,  into  Vir 
ginia,  and  it  was  supposed  that  an  attempt  would  be  made  by 
that  general  to  form  a  junction  in  the  Shenandoah  valley  with 
General  McClellan,  then  advancing  towards  Winchester  from 
the  western  parts  of  Virginia.  To  prevent  this  junction, 
therefore,  was  most  desirable,  and,  accordingly,  on  the  13th  of 
June,  General  Johnston  abandoned  Harper's  Ferry,  after  first 
burning  the  railroad  bridge  and  such  buildings  as  were  likely 
to  prove  most  useful  to  the  enemy.  On  the  14th,  while  on  his 
march  up  the  valley,  he  learned  that  Patterson's  forces  had 
crossed  the  Potomac  at  WTilliamsport,  and,  consequently,  it 
would  be  necessary  to  arrest  the  onward  movement  by  taking 
up  a  strong  position  between  the  Federal  army  and  Winches 
ter.  This  was  done  at  Bunker's  Hill,  on  the  Martinsburg 
turnpike,  and  with  what  result  wre  have  already  seen  in  our 
sketch  of  General  Jackson's  life.  Patterson  fell  back  across 
the  river,  and  Johnston  pursued  his  way  unmolested  towards 
Winchester. 

In  the  early  part  of  July,  Patterson  made  other  attempts  to 
entangle  Johnston,  and,  by  feints,  to  detain  him  in  that  part 
of  the  valley,  so  as  to  prevent  the  union  of  his  forces  with  those 
of  Beauregard,  then  strongly  encamped  on  the  plains  of  Ma- 
nassas.  But  Johnston  saw  through  this,  and  skilfully  avoided 
being  caught.  Keeping  his  own  designs  very  secret,  he  made 
several  feint  movements,  completely  deceiving  the  enemy  to 
the  last  moment;  and,  when,  on  the  ISth  of  July,  he  received 
a  dispatch  from  Richmond  stating  that  the  Northern  army, 
under  McDowell,  was  advancing  upon  Manassas,  he  acted  upon 
the  discretionary  power  given  him,  and  immediately  advanced 
to  join  Beauregard.  His  own  words  are,  "It  was  found  to 
be  necesaary  either  to  defeat  General  Patterson,  or  to  elude 
him."  The  latter  course  was  the  most  speedy  and  certain,  and 
was,  therefore,  adopted.  The  sick  were  provided  for  in  Win 
chester;  and  for  the  defence  of  that  place,  should  the  enemy 
follow,  as  was  expected,  the  militia  of  Generals  Carson  and 
Meem,  seemed  ample.  Colonel  Stuart,  with  the  cavalry,  was 


262  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

sent  on  in  advance  to  guard  the  way,  and  on  the  19th,  the 
whole  army  (except  a  portion  under  Kirby  Smith,  that  fol 
lowed  quickly  after)  moved  through  Ashby's  gap  to  Pied 
mont,  a  station  of  the  Manassas  Gap  railroad.  Hence,  the 
infantry  proceeded  by  the  cars, — the  cavalry  continuing  the 
march  by  road, — and  readied  Manassas  about  noon  of  July 
20th.  There,  though  ranking  Beauregard,  he  very  consider 
ately  and  generously  yielded  the  seniority,  so  as  not  to  disturb 
any  of  the  plans  of  battle  already  formed,  and,  consequently, 
Beauregard  retained  supreme  command  on  the  field,  while 
Johnston  cordially  and  effectively  supported  him.  The  fol 
lowing  day,  July  21st,  was  fought  the  great  battle  which  has 
been  already  alluded  to  and  described  in  previous  sketches. 
B ull  Run  will  exist  forever,  on  historic  ground,  as  memorable 
for  more  than  one  severe  conflict  between  the  forces  of  the 
North  and  South,  in  which  the  former  have  been  defeated. 
But  we  can  only  touch  upon  it  now  to  say  that,  in  all  the  dis 
positions  of  the  battle,  Beauregard  submitted  them  first  for 
approval  to  Johnston.  At  half  past  eight  in  the  morning, 
General  Johnston  moved  his  headquarters  to  a  more  central 
position,  where  he  could  watch  the  course  of  events,  but  soon 
after  ten  o'clock, — no  longer  able  to  remain  in  the  back 
ground, — he  set  out  for  the  advanced  lines,  gallantly  charg 
ing  to  the  front  with  the  colors  of  the  Fourth  Alabama  by  his 
side,  all  the  field  officers  of  that  regiment  having  been  pre 
viously  disabled.  Beauregard,  however,  earnestly  persuaded 
him  to  retire,  and  this,  reluctantly,  he  did,  afterwards  so  direct 
ing  and  ordering  the  reserves,  that  his  valuable  services  proved 
most  effectual  towards  the  successful  issue  of  the  day.  When 
Brigadier-general  Kirby  Smith  arrived  about  3  p.  M.,  with  the 
remainder  of  his  troops,  he  personally  directed  them  to  the 
right  of  the  enemy  where  they  could  be  most  efficient,  and 
where,  indeed,  their  arrival  produced  that  final  repulse  of  the 
enemy  which  resulted  in  a  total  defeat. 

After  the  battle  of  Manassas,  the  army  remained  in  camp, 
with  nothing  of  importance  concerning  it  to  relate,  as  con 
nected  with  General  Johnston,  until  the  following  March. 

The  personal  appearance  and  characteristics  of  General 
Johnston,  at  this  time,  have  been  thus  described  :  "  He  is 
about  five  feet  eight  or  nine  inches  in  height,  of  good  form, 


GENERAL    JOSEPH    EGGLESTON    JOHNSTON.  263 

very  erect,  a  handsome  face,  thick  moustache  and  beard,  some 
what  sprinkled  with  white.  His  hair  is  slightly  gray.  His 
organs  of  benevolence  and  veneration  are  extremely  large; 
and  his  eye  is  very  full  and  large.  He  should  talk  well,  and 
speak  fluently.  He  has  the  decided  advantage  over  Beaure- 
gard  in  appearance.  Every  thing  about  him — his  bearing, 
style  of  dress,  and  even  his  most  careless  attitudes — betoken 
the  high-toned  and  spirited  soldier,  who  loves  his  profession, 
and  whose  soul  revels  in  the  din  and  uproar  of  the  battlefield. 
Intellectually,  he  is  the  equal  of  any  of  the  generals  in  the 
army.  His  reports  are  written  with  great  vigor  and  a  degree 
of  elegance  which  shows  that,  in  the  turmoil  of  the  camp,  he 
is  not  unmindful  of  the  graces  of  literature.  As  a  strategist, 
he  enjoys  a  very  high  reputation  among  military  men.  He  is 
also  considered  one  of  the  best  fighters  in  the  army;  but  his 
general  manners  are  rather  quiet  and  dignified." 

In  the  early  part  of  February,  1862,  General  Johnston  issued 
a  stirring  appeal  to  the  soldiers,  on  the  re-enlistment  question, 
which  had  much  of  the  effect  desired,  and  filled  the  ranks  that 
had  been  thinned  by  expired  service.  A  portion  of  that  ap 
peal,  incidentally,  referred  to  some  new  movement  of  the 
army ;  and  the  next  month  saw  the  plains  of  Manassas  evac 
uated  for  the  purpose  of  taking  up  another  position  further 
south,  on  the  line  of  the  Rappahannock  and  the  Rapidan. 
The  reasons  publicly  assigned  for  this,  were  that  "it  was  a 
strategic  necessity,  and  was  the  surest  means  of  defeating  the 
grand  objects  of  the  enemy,  and  insuring  the  success  of  the 
Confederate  cause."  The  truth  is,  that  it  was  known  a  large 
portion  of  the  Northern  army  intended  to  try  and  reach  Rich 
mond  by  way  of  the  Peninsula  from  Yorktown.  General 
Johnston,  therefore,  having  been  left  to  his  own  discretion  in 
the  matter,  wisely  determined  to  change  his  base  of  operations 
on  the  Potomac,  to  one  where  he  could  be  within  supporting 
distance  of  the  army  around  Richmond  and  on  the  Peninsula. 
His  new  line,  therefore,  was  one  purely  defensive.  It  stretched 
from  the  Rappahannock,  by  a  grand  circle,  to  Cumberland 
gap,  in  the  extreme  southwestern  corner  of  the  State;  em 
bracing  the  Central  and  the  Virginia  and  Tennessee  railroads, 
the  chief  cities  of  Virginia,  the  valley  of  the  James,  with  its 
canal  and  railroads,  within  the  circumference.  This  position. 


264:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

was  assumed  in  consequence  of  the  great  preparations  made  in 
the  North  to  invade  the  South  ;  and  the  spirited  address  of 
General  McClellan  at  that  time,  to  his  troops,  clearly  indi 
cated  a  determination  to  cany  on  the  war  most  vigorously  and 
more  energetically  than  had  yet  been  done. 

On  the  1-ith  of  March,  McClellan  assumed  command  of  the 
"  Army  of  the  Potomac,"  having  been  relieved  from  the 
general  superintendence  of  all  the  military  departments,  and, 
in  addressing  his  soldiers,  he  says  :  "  The  moment  for  action 

has  arrived.     The  period  of  inaction  has  passed In 

whatever  direction  yon  may  move,  however  strange  my  actions 
may  appear  to  you,  ever  bear  in  mind  that  my  fate  is  linked 
with  yours,  and  that  all  I  do  is  to  bring  you,  where  I  know 
you  wish  to  be — on  the  decisive  battlefield."  What  his  plans 
were  is  well  known,  and  has  been  ably  spoken  of  by  the  Prince 
de  Joinville,  who  accompanied  McClellan,  and  afterwards 
published  a  small  work  on  the  campaign.  To  attack  Rich 
mond  by  the  water  line  was  his  great  desire ;  and  it  was  this 
that  General  Johnston,  with  keen -sigh ted  policy,  prepared  for. 
The  authorities  at  Richmond  also  adopted  every  measure 
necessary  to  meet  the  enemy  on  his  new  battle-ground.  The 
capital  was,  of  course,  the  principal  object  to  be  considered, 
and  General  Lee  was  summoned  from  the  South  to  take  mili 
tary  control  of  all  its  defences. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  General  McClellan  began  to  forward 
his  troops  from  Alexandria,  by  transports,  to  Fort  Monroe, 
and  when  he,  himself,  departed,  it  was  with  the  expectation 
that  General  McDowell,  with  the  rest  of  the  great  army  would 
promptly  follow.  This,  however,  did  not  occur.  It  was  found 
that,  though  Manassas  had  been  evacuated  by  the  Confederates, 
they  were  in  far  greater  force  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley, 
where  Jackson  was  heroically  fighting,  and  in  the  front  of  the 
advanced  Northern  line  of  occupation  in  Virginia,  than  was 
before  supposed.  Consequently,  some  dread  was  entertained 
that  Washington  itself  might  be  in  danger,  if  left  unprotected, 
and,  accordingly,  McDowell  was  detained  for  that  purpose. 
All  this  was  known  to  General  Johnston,  who,  however,  kept 
his  own  designs  quite  secret,  even  '•  shutting  out  his  army 
from  all  intercourse  with  the  public."  Thus,  when  Yorktown 
was  besieged  in  April,  Magruder,  in  command  there,  was  rein- 


GENERAL    JOSKPH    EGGLESTON    JOHNSTON".  265 

forced  from  Johnston's  army  without  delay  or  difficulty.  John 
ston  himself  went  thither,  and  earnestly  addressed  the  troops, 
calling  upon  them  "  to  use  every  exertion  to  defeat  the 
Northern  invaders.'7  But  events  proved  that  such  was  not  to 
be  done  at  Yorktown,  nor,  afterwards,  at  "Williamsburg.  On 
the  4th  of  May,  Yorktown  was  evacuated  by  the  Confederates, 
after,  it  is  said,  a  unanimous  opinion  on  the  part  of  President 
Davis,  General  Lee  (both  having  visited  the  place  for  the 
purpose),  and  General  Johnston,  that  McClellan,  by  his  ar 
rangements,  had  made  the  place  untenable.  Magruder  dis 
sented  from  this  view,  but  yielded  to  the  judgment  of  the 
others. 

General  Johnston  now  retreated  upon  "Williamsburg,  hotly 
pursued  by  the  victorious  federals,  but  here  he  determined  to 
impede  their  advance  by  giving  battle.  On  the  5th  of  May 
was  fought  the  battle  of  Williamsburg,  and  on  the  next  day 
the  city  was  occupied  by  the  Federal  troops,  Johnston  gradu 
ally  retiring  towards  Richmond.  On  the  8th  he  was  at  Bar- 
hamsville,  and  sent  an  official  letter  to  Richmond,  notifying 
the  landing  of  the  enemy  at  West  Point,  under  cover  of  their 
gunboats.  This  movement  appears  to  have  been  foreseen  by 
Johnston,  and  is  the  key  to  his  motives  for  withdrawing  to  the 
defences  of  Richmond,  which  now  required  all  the  available 
force  that  could  be  collected  there.  On  the  19th,  he  occupied 
a  line  in  the  vicinity  of  the  capital,  so  as  to  cover  all  the  river 
batteries;  and,  a  day  or  two  afterwards,  the  advance  of  the 
Northern  army  came  within  seven  miles  of  the  city.  The 
preparations  now  made  to  repel  the  enemy  have  already  been 
touched  upon  in  our  sketch  of  General  Lee.  We  will  there 
fore  confine  ourselves  to  what  belongs  merely  to  Johnston's 
personal  doings. 

On  the  27th  of  May  he  sent  a  dispatch  to  General  Jackson, 
(then  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley)  wherein  are  the  following 
important  passages,  having  reference  to  the  army  movements 
at  that  time : 

HEADQUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  OF  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA,  ) 
May  27, 1862,  9  o'clock  15  min.     J 
To  GENERAL  T.  J.  JACKSON  : 

GENERAL — I  have  just  received  your  letter  of  yesterday  by 
Lieutenant  Boswell.  A  copy  of  a  dispatch  telegraphed  by 


266  SOUTHERN    GENEBALS. 

that  officer  from  Staunton  reached  me  this  morning.  After 
reading,  I  wrote  to  you  by  a  special  messenger,  suggesting  a 
movement  threatening  Washington  and  Baltimore,  unless  the 
enemy  still  has  in  your  vicinity  force  enough  to  make  it  rash 
to  attempt  it.  He  has  no  force  beyond  the  Potomac  to  make 
it  dangerous  ;  only  what  he  has  on  this  side  need  be  con 
sidered. 

You  cannot,  in  your  present  position,  employ  such  an  army 
as  yours  upon  any  enterprise  not  bearing  directly  upon  the 
state  of  things  here,  either  by  preventing  the  reinforcements  to 
McClell an's  army,  or  by  drawing  troops  from  it  by  divisions. 
These  objects  might  be  accomplished  by  the  demonstrations 
proposed  above,  or  by  a  movement  upon  McDowell,  although 
I  fear  that  by  the  time  this  reaches  you  it  will  be  too  late  for 
either.  The  most  important  service  you  can  render  the 
country  is  the  preventing  the  further  strengthening  of  McClel- 
lan's  army.  If  you  find  it  too  late  for  that,  strike  the  most 
important  body  of  the  enemy  you  can  reach.  You  compel  me 
to  publish  orders  announcing  your  success  so  <often  that  you 
must  expect  repetition  of  expressions. 

Yours  very  truly, 

J.  E.  JOHNSTON. 

P.  S. — It  is  reported  this  evening  that  McDowell  is  moving 
this  way  from  Fredericksburg.  It  is  probable. 

J.  E.  JOHNSTON. 

On  the  day  bat  one  after,  he  issued  an  address  to  his  army 
"  on  the  brilliant  success  won  by  the  skill  and  courage  of  the 
generals  and  troops  in  the  Valley,"  and  calling  upon  his  own 
soldiers  "  to  emulate  the  deeds  of  their  noble  comrades  there, 
so  as  to  make  illustrious  in  history  the  part  they  would  soon 
have  to  act  in  the  impending  drama."  Having  ascertained 
that  the  enemy  was  encamped  on  the  inner  side  of  the  Chicka- 
hominy,  near  the  Williamsburg  road,  not  far  from  a  place 
called  the  Seven  Pines,  he  determined  to  attack  McClellan's 
advance  without  delay.  Written  orders  were  dispatched  to 
the  Confederate  generals  in  command,  and  verbal  instructions 
given  to  General  Longstreet,  then  near  headquarters. 

On  Friday  night,  May  30th,  a  thunderstorm  of  unusual 
violence  shook  the  heavens,  and  rain  fell  so  heavily  that  the 


GENERAL   JOSEPH   EGGLESTON   JOHNSTON.  267 

whole  face  of  the  country  was  deluged  with  water.  The  men 
in  camp  were  exposed  to  all  the  violence  of  the  storm,  and 
the  roads  were  rendered  almost  impassable  with  mud  very 
deep.  The  enemy  were  even  worse  off,  for  the  bottom  lands 
at  the  head  of  the  Chickahorniny  were  flooded,  and  the  stream 
itself  was  much  swollen. .  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  31st, 
however,  it  was  rumored  that  Johnston  intended  attacking  the 
enemy's  left,  and  that  because,  as  the  bridges  were  washed 
away,  it  would  prevent  McClellan  sending  reinforcements  to 
this  portion  of  his  army.  The  movement  began  between  six 
and  eight  o'clock  A.  M.,  Longstreet  and  Hill  in  the  advance, 
toiling  through  the  mire  on  the  Williamsburg  road.  The  plan 
of  operation  was  as  follows : 

"  General  Hill,  supported  by  the  division  of  General  Long- 
street  (who  had  the  direction  of  operations  on  the  right),  was 
to  advance  by  the  Williamsburg  road  to  attack  the  enemy  in 
front;  General  Huger,  with  his  division,  was  to  move  down 
the  Charles  City  road,  in  order  to  attack  in  flank  the  troops 
who  might  be  engaged  with  Hill  and  Longstreet,  unless  he 
found  in  his  front  force  enough  to  occupy  the  division. 
General  Smith  was  to  march  to  the  junction  of  the  New-bridge 
road  and  the  Nine-mile  road,  to  be  in  readiness  either  to  fall 
on  Keyes'  right  flank,  or  to  cover  Longstreet's  left." 

As  the  troops  inarched  on,  the  heavens  were  surcharged  with 
clouds,  and  raindrops  fell  thickly.  In  the  front  were  dense 
woods,  on  marshy  ground,  the  water  in  many  places  being  two 
feet  deep.  Yet,  "  through  all  this,  the  regiments  slowly  ad 
vanced,  while  the  artillery  endeavored  to  follow.  Horses 
were  lashed  and  goaded.  Artillerymen  were  up  to  their  mid 
dle  in  mire,  tugging  at  long  ropes,  and  trying  to  get  on,  but 
their  progress  was  very  slow  indeed.  The  gullies,  holes,  pools, 
and  rocks,  threatened  to  capsize  them  at  every  turn." 

These,  and  other  causes,  delayed  the  attack  on  the  enemy 
until  about  2  p.  M.,  when  Longstreet,  finding  Huger's  division 
had  not  come  up  as  expected,  opened  the  engagement,  alone, 
with  artillery  and  skirmishers.  By  three  o'clock  it  became 
close  and  heavy.  Meantime,  General  Johnston  had  placed 
himself  on  the  left,  with  the  division  of  General  G.  W.  Smith, 
that  he  might  be  on  a  part  of  the  field  where  good  observation 
could  be  made  of  any  counter-movement  on  the  side  of  the 


268  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

enerny.  But,  owing  to  the  dense  state  of  the  atmosphere,  the 
first  sound  of  firing  on  the  right  did  not  reach  him,  and  it  was 
4  P.  M.  when  news  came  of  Longstreet's  vigorous  attack.  John 
ston  then  ordered  forward  the  whole  of  Smith's  division,  and 
the  battle  now  became  general.  What  followed  may  be  best 
related  in  General  Johnston's  own  words,  as  given  in  his  official 
report.  He  says : 

"The  principal  attack  was  made  by  Major-general  Long- 
street,  with  his  own  and  Major-general  D.  II.  Hill's  divisions 
— the  latter  mostly  in  advance.  Hill's  brave  troops,  admirably 
commanded  and  gallantly  led,  forced  their  way  through  the 
abattis,  which  formed  the  enemy's  external  defences,  and 
stormed  their  intrenchments  by  a  determined  and  irresistible 
rush.  Such  was  the  manner  in  which  the  enemy's  first  line 
was  carried.  The  operation  was  repeated  with  the  same  gal 
lantry  and  success  as  our  troops  pursued  their  victorious  career 
through  the  enemy's  successive  camps  and  intrenchments.  At 
each  new  position  they  encountered  fresh  troops  belonging  to 
it,  and  reinforcements  brought  on  from  the  rear.  Thus  they 
had  to  repel  repeated  efforts  to  retake  works  which  they  had 
carried.  But  their  advance  was  never  successfully  resisted. 

"  Their  onward  movement  was  only  stayed  by  the  coining  of 
night.  By  nightfall  they  had  forced  their  way  to  the  '  Seven 
Pines,'  having  driven  the  enemy  back  more  than  two  miles, 
through  their  own  camps,  and  from  a  series  of  intrenchments, 
and  repelled  every  attempt  to  recapture  them,  with  great 
slaughter.  The  skill,  vigor,  and  decision,  with  which  these 
operations  were  conducted  by  General  Longstreet,  are  worthy 
of  the  highest  praise.  He  was  worthily  seconded  by  Major- 
general  Hill,  of  whose  conduct  and  courage  he  speaks  in  the 
highest  terms. 

"Major-general  Smith's  division  moved  -forward  at  four 
o'clock,  Whiting's  three  brigades  leading.  Their  progress  was 
impeded  by  the  enemy's  skirmishers,  which,  with  their  sup 
ports,  were  driven  back  to  the  railroad.  At  this  point,  Whit 
ing's  own  and  Pettigrew's  brigades  engaged  a  superior  force  of 
the  enemy.  Hood's,  by  my  order,  moved  on  to  co-operate 
with  Longstreet.  General  Smith  was  desired  to  hasten  up 
with  all  the  troops  within  reach.  He  brought  up  Hampton's 
and  Hatton's  brigades  in  a  few  minutes. 


GENERAL    JOSEPFI    EGGLESTON    JOHNSTON.  269 

"The  strength  of  the  enemy's  position,  however,  enabled 
him  to  hold  it  until  dark. 

"  About  sunset,  being  struck  from  my  horse,  severely 
wounded  by  a  fragment  of  a  shell,  I  was  carried  from  the 
field,  and  Major-general  G.  "VV.  Smith  succeeded  to  the  com 
mand. 

"  He  was  prevented  from  resuming  his  attack  on  the  enemy's 
position  next  morning,  by  the  discovery  of  strong  intrench- 
inents  not  seen  on  the  previous  evening.  His  division  bi 
vouacked,  on  the  night  of  the  31st,  within  musket-shot  of  the  in 
trench  ments  which  they  were  attacking  when  darkness  stayed 
the  conflict.  The  skill,  energy,  and  resolution  with  which 
Major-general  Smith  directed  the  attack,  would  have  secured 
success  if  it  could  have  been  made  an  hour  earlier. 

ki  The  troops  of  Longstreet  and  Hill  passed  the  night  of  the 
31st  on  the  ground  which  they  had  won.  The  enemy  were 
strongly  reinforced  from  the  north  side  of  the  Chickahominy 
on  the  evening  and  night  of  the  31st.  The  troops  engaged  by 
General  Smith  were,  undoubtedly,  from  the  other  side  of  the 
river. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  1st  of  June,  the  enemy  attacked  the 
brigade  of  General  Pickett,  which  was  supported  by  that  of 
General  Pryor.  The  attack  was  vigorously  repelled  by  these 
two  brigades,  the  brunt  of  the  fight  falling  on  General  Pickett. 
This  was  the  last  demonstration  made  by  the  enemy. 

'•  Our  troops  employed  the  residue  of  the  day  in  securing  and 
bearing  off  the  captured  artillery,  small-arms,  and  other  prop 
erty  ;  and  in  the  evening  quietly  returned  to  their  own 
camps." 

The  wound  General  Johnston  received,  came  while  he  was  in 
the  front,  ordering  some  new  attack.  A  battery  opened  from 
a  thicket,  and  a  piece  of  shell  struck  him  severely;  at  the  same 
time  a  minie  ball  entered  his  shoulder  and  passed  down  his 
back.  He  fell  from  his  horse,  and  broke  two  of  his  ribs,  thus 
compelling  him  to  leave  the  field,  at  the  time,  with  little  hope  of 
recovery.  He  was  taken  back  to  the  city,  to  the  residence  of 
a  celebrated  physician,  who  carefully  attended  him,  and  the 
streets,  for  squares  around,  were  kept  clear  of  vehicles  so  as  to 
prevent  his  being  disturbed.  It  was  some  weeks,  however,  be 
fore  he  showed  symptoms  of  recovery  ;  and,  at  the  end  of  July, 


270  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

he  left  for  Amelia  Springs,  to  derive  benefit  from  the  pure 
country  air. 

For  more  than  three  months  General  Johnston  was  unable 
to  attend  to  military  duties.  At  length  he  was  sufficiently 
restored  to  permit  of  his  transacting  business,  though,  ap 
parently,  not  of  resuming  active  duties  in  the  field.  In  Sep 
tember  he  was  at  Gordons ville  and  Culpepper  on  some  private 
matters,  as  reported,  connected  with  the  army ;  but  not  until 
the  beginning  of  November  did.  he  again  come  forward  in  pub 
lic  life.. 

On  the  2-4th  of  November  he  was  assigned  to  the  command 
of  the  West,  in  the  following  order : 

ADJUTANT  AND  INSPECTOR-GENERAL'S  OFFICE,) 
RICHMOND,  November  24,  1862.         \ 
******* 

General  J.  E.  Johnston,  Confederate  States  army,  is  hereby 
assigned  to  the  following  geographical  command,  to  wit :  Com 
mencing  with  the  Blue  Ridge  of  mountains,  running  through 
the  western  part  of  North  Carolina,  and  following  the  line  of 
said  mountains  through  the  northern  part  of  Georgia  to  the 
railroad  south  of  Chattanooga ;  thence  by  that  road  to  West 
Point,  and  down  the  west  or  right  bank  of  the  Chattahoochie 
river  to  the  boundary  of  Alabama  and  Florida,  following  that 
boundary  west  to  the  Choctahatchie  river,  and  down  that  river 
to  Chatahatchie  bay — including  the  waters  of  that  bay — to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  All  that  portion  of  country  west  of  said  line 
to  the  Mississippi  river  is  included  in  the  above  command. 
General  Johnston  will,  for  the  purpose  of  correspondence  and 
reports,  establish  his  headquarters  at  Chattanooga,  or  such 
other  place  as  in  his  judgment  will  best  secure  facilities  for  ready 
communication  with  the  troops  within  the  limits  of  his  com 
mand,  and  will  repair  in  person  to  any  part  of  said  command 
whenever  his  presence  may,  for  the  time,  be  necessary  or  de 
sirable. 

******* 

By  command  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 

JOHN  WITHERS,  Assistant  Adjutant-general. 
His  Excellency,  the  President,  Richmond,  Va. 

On  the  29th  of  November,  General  Johnston  left  Richmond 
with  his  staff,  and  arrived  at  Chattanooga  on  the  4th  of  De- 


GENERAL    JOSEPH    EGGLESTOX    JOHNSTON.  271 

cember.  The  next  day  he  proceeded  to  Murfreesboro,  and  as 
sumed  command  of  the  army,  though,  from  physical  inability, 
produced  by  his  late  wound,  he  was  unable  to  do  more  than 
direct  movements.  At  this  time,  President  Davis  was  on  a 
tour  of  inspection,  and,  in  company  with  General  Johnston, 
visited  Bragg's  army. 

The  organization  of  the  army,  nnder  General  Johnson,  at 
the  time  he  took  command,  was  as  follows: — General  Bragg 
in  command  of  the  army  of  the  Mississippi,  located  at  Murfrees 
boro,  Tennessee,  with  Lieutenant-general  Polk,  commanding  the 
right  wing,  and  under  him, Generals  Buckner,  Cheatham,  Breck- 
inridge,  etc. ;  Lieutenant-general  Kirby  Smith,  commanding  the 
centre,  located  at  Shelby  ville.  Tennessee;  Lieutenant-general 
Hardee,  commanding  the  left  wing,  also  located  at  Shelbyville. 
Other  detachments  were  nnder  Generals  R.  Anderson,  Pillow, 
Wheeler,  Morgan,  Forrest,  and  Stearns ;  and  the  total  amount 
of  force  was  about  G5,750  men.  General  Johnston,  however, 
does  riot  appear  to  have  remained  long  at  Murfreesboro,  but 
visited  other  portions  of  his  department,  leading  to  the  infer 
ence  that  he  was  in  command  at  Vicksburg.  On  the  26th  of 
December,  1862,  while  at  Jackson,  Mississippi,  in  company 
with  the  President,  who  delivered  an  address  before  the  legis 
lature  of  Mississippi,  General  Johnston  was  called  upon  for  a 
speech.  "The  scar-worn  hero,"  says  a  report  of  the  proceed 
ings,  "looked  a  little  nervous,  while  the  house  rang  with  loud 
and  prolonged  applause.  He  rose  and  said :  '  Fellow-citizens, — 
My  only  regret  is  that  I  have  done  so  little  to  merit  such  a 
greeting.  I  promise  you,  however,  that  hereafter  I  shall  be 
watchful,  energetic,  and  indefatigable  in  your  defence.' ': 

At  the  end  of  the  year  (1862)  was  fought  the  battle  of  Mur 
freesboro,  between  Generals  Bragg  and  Hosecrans,  each  claim 
ing  the  victory,  though  the  former  retreated  to  Tullahoma.  At 
the  time,  General  Johnston  appears  to  have  been  at  Jackson, 
watching  the  movements  of  Sherman  on  Vicksburg,  who  had 
to  retreat  after  an  unsuccessful  assault  upon  the  city.  General 
Grant  had  also  to  be  carefully  followed  in  his  operations;  but 
General  Johnston  had  some  other  duties  now  to  perform, 
which  evidently  placed  him  in  a  delicate  position.  President 
Davis  had  returned  to  Richmond,  and  there,  it  would  seem,  he 
was  urged  to  remove  General  Bra£2  from  his  command.  The 


272  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

President,  however,  thought  fit  to  consult  General  Johnston 
on  the  subject,  and  the  following  correspondence  took  place. 

RICHMOND,  Va.,  January  22, 1863. 
General  J.  E.  JOHNSTON,  Chattanooga,  Tenn. : 

As  announced  in  my  telegram,  I  address  this  letter  to  you 
[explaining]  the  purpose  for  which  I  desire  you  to  proceed 
promptly  to  the  headquarters  of  General  Bragg's  army. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

You  will,  I  trust,  be  able  by  conversation  with  General 
Brasr0"  and  others  of  his  command,  to  decide  what  the  best  in- 

oO  ' 

terests  of  the  service  require,  and  give  me  the  advice  which  I 
need  at  this  juncture.  As  that  army  is  a  part  of  your  com 
mand  no  order  will  be  necessary  to  give  you  authority  there, 
as,  whether  present  or  absent,  you  have  a  right  to  direct  its 
operations,  and  do  whatever  else  belongs  to  the  general  com 
manding.  Very  truly  and  respectfully  yours, 

JEFF.  DAVIS. 

TULLAHOMA,  February  12,  18G3. 

MR.  PRESIDENT, — Since  writing  to  you  on  the  3d,  I  have  seen 
the  whole  army.  Its  appearance  is  very  encouraging,  and 
gives  positive  assurance  of  General  Bragg's  capacity  to  com 
mand.  It  is  well  clothed,  healthy,  and  in  fine  spirits.  The 
brigades  engaged  at  Murfreesboro  are  now  stronger  than  they 
were  on  the  morning  of  the  battle — mainly  by  the  return  of 
the  absentees  brought  back  by  the  general's  vigorous  system. 

*  ***** 
My  object  has  been  to  ascertain  if  the  confidence  of  the 

troops  in  the  ability  of  the  army  to  beat  the  enemy  is  at  all  im 
paired. 

I  find  no  indication  that  it  is  less  than  when  you  were  in  its 
camps. 

While  this  feeling  exists,  and  you  regard  General  Bragg  as 
brave  and  skilful,  the  fact  that  some  or  all  of  the  general 
officers  of  the  army,  and  many  of  the  subordinates,  think  that 
you  might  give  them  a  commander  with  fewer  defects,  cannot, 
I  think,  greatly  diminish  his  value.  To  me  it  seems  that  the 
operations  of  this  army  in  Middle  Tennessee  have  been  con 
ducted  admirably.  I  can  find  no  record  of  more  effective 


GENERAL    JOSEPH    EGGLESTON   JOHNSTON.  273 

fighting  in  modern  battles  than  that  of  this  arm j  in  December, 
evincing  skill  in  the  commander,  and  courage  in  the  troops, 
which  fully  entitle  them  to  the  thanks  of  the  Government 

In  the  early  part  of  January,  the  country  north  of  Granada 
being  considered  impracticable,  I  directed  Major-general  Van 
Dorn  to  bring  to  General  Bragg's  aid  the  cavalry  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  army,  except  such  as  Lieutenant-general  Pernberton 
considered  necessary  to  him. 

*  *  *  #  *  -x- 

I  have  been  told  by that  they  have  advised  you 

to  remove  General  Bragg,  and  place  me  in  command  of  this 
army.  I  am  sure  that  you  will  agree  with  me,  that  the  part  I 
have  borne  in  this  investigation  would  render  it  inconsistent 
with  my  personal  honor  to  occupy  that  position.  I  believe, 
however,  that  the  interest  of  the  service  requires  that  General 
Bragg  should  not  be  removed.  Most  respectfully,  your  obedi 
ent  servant, 

J.  E.  JOHNSTON. 

It  appears,  however,  that  there  was  a  determination  on  the 
part  of  the  authorities  at  Richmond,  to  have  General  Johnston 
in  active  command  on  the  field,  as  will  appear  from  the  fol 
lowing  extracts  from  his  official  reports.  He  says  : 

"While  on  my  way  to  Mississippi,  where  I  thought  my 
presence  had  become  necessary,  I  received,  in  Mobile,  on  March 
12th,  the  following  telegram  from  the  Secretary  of  War,  dated 
March  9. 

"  '  Order  General  Bragg  to  report  to  the  War  Department 
for  conference.  Assume  yourself  direct  charge  of  the  army  of 
Middle  Tennessee.' 

"  In  obedience  to  this  order,  I  at  once  proceeded  to  Tulla- 
homa.  On  my  arrival  I  informed  the  Secretary  of  War,  by  a 
telegram  of  March  19th,  that  General  Bragg  could  not  then  be 
sent  to  Richmond,  as  he  was  ordered,  on  account  of  the  critical 
condition  of  his  family. 

"  On  the  10th  of  April,  I  repeated  this  to  the  President,  and 
added,  '  Being  unwell  then,  I  afterwards  became  sick,  and  am 
not  now  able  to  serve  in  the  field.  General  Bragg  is,  there 
fore,  necessary  here.'  On  the  28th  my  unfitness  for  service  in 
the  field  was  reported  to  the  Secretary  of  of  War. 

18 


274:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

"  On  the  9th  of  May  I  received,  at  Tullahoma,  the  following 
dispatch  of  the  same  date,  from  the  Secretary  of  War  : 

'  Proceed  at  once  to  Mississippi  and  take  chief  command  of 
the  forces  there,  giving  to  those  in  the  field,  as  far  as  practica 
ble,  the  encouragement  and  benefit  of  yonr  personal  direction.' 

"It  is  thus  seen,  that,  neither  my  orders  nor  my  health 
permitted  me  to  visit  Mississippi  after  the  12th  of  March,  un 
til  the  time  when  I  took  direct  charge  of  that  department." 

From  the  time  General  Johnston  arrived  at  Tullahoma, 
until  the  middle  of  April,  communications  by  telegraph  were 
received  from  General  Pemberton,  then  at  Yicksburg,  indicat 
ing  that  all  attempts  on  that  place  were  apparently  aban 
doned.  But,  on  the  17th  of  April,  news  came  that  Grant  had 
resumed  vigorous  operations,  and  that  the  Federal  flotilla  on 
the  Mississippi  \vas  also  actively  engaged.  These  operations 
proved  successful.  Port  Gibson  was  taken  by  the  Federal 
forces  on  the  first  of  May  ;  Grand  Gulf  was  occupied,  and 
General  Grant  began  his  march  upon  the  Jackson  and  Yicks 
burg  railroad.  It  was  time,  therefore,  that  Johnston  himself, 
however  sick  he  might  be,  should  be  personally  present  on  the 
scene.  Accordingly,  he  reached  Jackson  on  the  night  of  the 
13th  of  May,  and  immediately  assumed  active  command. 
On  examination,  he  found  matters  very  serious.  His  whole 
force  there,  even  with  expected  reinforcements,  would  not 
amount  to  more  than  "eleven  thousand,"  and  Grant,  with  a 
powerful  army,  was  rapidly  approaching.  Next  morning, 
Thursday,  May  14th,  at  an  early  hour,  Johnston  marched  out 
some  eight  miles  southwest  of  Jackson,  and  met  the  forces  of 
Grant  advancing  by  the  main  road.  A  battle  was  fought, 
lasting  for  some  time,  and  ending  in  the  repulse  of  the  Con 
federates,  and  their  evacuation  of  the  city.  At  2  P.  M.  John 
ston  retreated  by  the  Canton  road,  by  which  alone  he  could 
form  a  junction  with  Pemberton,  who  was  in  the  advanced 
front  of  Yicksburg.  After  inarching  six  miles,  the  troops  en 
camped,  and  General  Johnston  then  sent  -a  dispatch  to  Pem 
berton,  advising  and  directing  him  wiiat  to  do.  But,  on  the 
morning  of  the  16th  Pemberton  was  attacked  by  the  enemy  at 
Baker's  creek,  near  Edward's  station,  on  the  Yicksburg  rail 
road,  and  after  nine  hours'  fighting,  was  compelled  to  fall 
back  behind  the  Big  Black  river.  On  the  17th,  Johnston 


GENERAL   JOSEPH    EGGLESTON    JOHNSTON.  275 

again  tried  to  join  Pemberton  by  marching  in  a  direction  in 
timated  by  that  general,  but  that  night  it  was  ascertained  he 
had  retired  within  Yicksburg.  The  day  after,  General  John 
ston  had  his  headquarters  near  Yernon,  close  to  the  Big  Black, 
and  thence  sent  to  Pemberton  instructions  to  "hold  out," 
until  it  might  be  seen  if  he  could  be  relieved.  At  the  same 
time  he  forwarded  directions  to  General  Gardner,  at  Port 
Hudson,  to  evacuate  that  place  ;  and,  after  dispatching  these 
orders,  he  marched  back  to  re-establish  his  line  between  Jack 
son  and  Canton.  There,  for  awhile,  we  will  leave  his  military 
movements,  and  introduce  some  notice  of  him  from  a  visitor, 
who  had  come  across  the  Atlantic  to  see  what  was  going  on  in 
the  Confederate  States.  We  allude  to  Lieutenant-colonel  Fre- 
mantle,  from  whom  we  have  already  quoted,  and  who  says,  at 
this  particular  time,  after  a  difficult  journey  up  the  Mis 
sissippi  : 

""We  left  Jackson  (Tuesday,  19th  May)  with  the  leading 
troops  (of  Confederates  proceeding  to  join  Johnston — Grant 
having  gone  to  Yicksburg),  and  next  day,  about  6  p.  M., 

reached  General  Johnston's  bivouac 1  presented  my 

letters  of  introduction,  ....  and  to  me  he  was  extremely 
affable,  though  he  certainly  possesses  the  power  of  keeping 
people  at  a  distance  when  he  chooses,  and  his  officers  evidently 
stand  in  great  awe  of  him.  He  lives  very  plainly,  and  at 
present  his  only  cooking  utensils  consisted  of  an  old  coffeepot 
and  fryingpan — both  very  inferior  articles.  There  was  only 
one  fork  (one  prong  deficient),  between  himself  and  staff,  and 
this  was  handed  to  me,  ceremoniously,  as  the  'guest.'  He  has 
undoubtedly  acquired  the  entire  confidence  of  all  the  officers 
and  soldiers  under  him.  Many  of  the  officers  told  me  they 
did  not  consider  him  inferior,  as  a  general,  to  Lee,  or  any  one 
else.  He  told  me  that  Yicksburg  was  certainly  in  a  critical 
situation,  and  was  now  closely  invested  by  Grant.  He  said 
that  he,  himself,  had  11,000  men  with  him,  hardly  any  cav 
alry,  and  only  sixteen  pieces  of  cannon  ;  but,  if  he  could  get 
adequate  reinforcements,  he  stated  his  intention  of  endeavor 
ing  to  relieve  Yicksburg On  the  following  day  I  was 

received  into  his  mess.  Major  Eustis  and  Lieutenant  Wash 
ington,  officers  of  his  staff,  are  thorough  gentlemen,  and  did 
all  in  their  power  to  make  me  comfortable.  The  first  is  a 


276  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

Louisianian  of  wealth  (formerly) ;  and  his  negro  always  speaks 
French.  .  ,  .  .  I  was  presented  to  Captain  Henderson,  who 
commanded  a  corps  of  about  fifty  scouts.  These  are  employed 
on  the  hazardous  duty  of  hanging  about  the  enemy's  camps, 
collecting  information,  and  communicating  with  Pemberton  in 
Yicksburg.  They  are  a  fine  looking  lot  of  men,  wild,  and 
very  picturesque  in  appearance.  At  noon  a  Yankee  military 
surgeon  came  to  camp.  He.  had  been  left  behind  by  Grant  to 
look  after  the  Yankee's  wounded  at  Jackson,  and  he  was  now 
anxious  to  rejoin  his  general  by  flag  of  truce,  but  General 
Johnston  very  prudently  refused  to  allow  this,  and  desired 
that  he  should  be  sent  to  the  North,  via  Richmond.  By  a 
very  sensible  arrangement,  both  sides  have  agreed  to  treat 
doctors  as  non-combatants,  and  not  to  make  prisoners  of  war 
of  them.  ...  In  the  evening  I  asked  General  Johnston  what 
prospect  he  thought  there  was  of  early  operations,  and  he  told 
me  that  at  present  he  was  too  weak  to  do  any  good,  and  he 
was  unable  to  give  me  any  definite  idea  as  to  when  he  might 
be  strong  enough  to  attack  Grant.  .  .  .  General  Johnston  is  a 
very  well  read  man,  and  agreeable  to  converse  with.  He  told 
me  that  he  considered  Marlborough  a  greater  general  than 
Wellington.  All  Americans  have  an  intense  admiration  for 
Napoleon  ;  and  they  seldom  scruple  to  express  their  regret 
that  he  was  beaten  at  Waterloo.  Remarking  upon  the  ex 
treme  prevalence  of  military  titles,  General  Johnston  said, 
4  You  must  be  astonished  to  find  how  fond  all  Americans  are 
of  titles,  though  they  are  republicans ;  and,  as  they  can't  get 
any  other  sort,  they  all  take  military  ones.  ...  In  the  course 
of  our  long  conversation,  he  told  me  that  the  principal  evils 
which  a  Confederate  general  had  to  contend  against,  consisted 
in  the  difficulty  of  making  combinations,  owing  to  uncertainty 
about  the  time  which  the  troops  would  take  to  march  a  cer 
tain  distance,  on  account  of  their  straggling  propensities.  .  .  . 
He  also  said  that  Grant  had  displayed  more  vigor  than  he  had 
expected,  by  crossing  the  river  below  Yicksburg,  seizing 
Jackson  by  vastly  superior  force,  and,  after  cutting  off  com 
munications,  investing  the  fortress  thoroughly,  so  as  to  take  it, 
if  possible,  before  a  sufficient  force  could  be  got  to  relieve  it. 
....  In  reference  to  himself,  he  said  that  altogether  he  had 
been  wounded  ten  times.  He  was  the  senior  officer  of  the  old 


GENERAL   JOSEPH   EGGLESTON   JOHNSTON.  277 

army  who  joined  the  Confederates.  .  .  .  Saturday,  May  23d, 
General  Johnston,  Major  Eustis,  and  myself,  left  Canton  at 
6  A.  M.,  on  a  locomotive  for  Jackson.  On  the  way  we  talked 
a  good  deal  about  "  Stonewall"  Jackson,  and  he  said  that 
although  this  extraordinary  man  did  not  possess  any  great 
qualifications  as  a  strategist,  and  was  perhaps  unfit  for  the 
independent  command  of  a  large  army,  yet  he  was  gifted  with 
wonderful  courage  and  determination,  and  a  perfect,  faith  in 
Providence  that  he  was  destined  to  destroy  his  enemy.  He 
was  much  indebted  to  General  Ewell  in  the  valley  campaigns. 
Stonewall  Jackson  was  also  most  fortunate  in  commanding 
the  flower  of  the  Virginia  troops,  and  in  being  opposed  to  the 
most  incapable  Federal  commanders,  such  as  Fremont  and 
Banks. 

"  Before  we  had  proceeded  twelve  miles  we  were  forced  to 
stop  and  collect  wood  from  the  road  side  to  feed  our  engine, 
and  the  general  worked  with  so  much  energy  as  to  cause  his 
'  Seven  Pines'  wound  to  give  him  pain.  We  were  put  out  at 
a  spot  where  the  railroad  was  destroyed,  at  about  four  miles 
from  Jackson.  A  carnage  ought  to  have  been  in  waiting  for 
us,  but  by  some  mistake  it  had  not  arrived,  so  we  had  to  foot 
it.  I  was  obliged  to  carry  my  heavy  saddle-bags.  Major 
Eustis  very  kindly  took  my  knapsack,  and  the  general  carried 
the  cloaks.  In  this  order  we  reached  Jackson,  much  exhausted, 
at  9  :  30  A.  M.  ...  I  there  took  an  affectionate  farewell  of  him 
and  his  officers,  and  he  returned  to  Canton  at  3  p.  M." 

We  have  given  the  above  extracts  as  significant  of  General 
Johnston's  character  as  a  courteous  gentleman,  and  accom 
plished  military  officer  of  rank.  And  it  is  a  somewhat  striking 
fact,  that  he  and  many  others,  both  North  and  South,  have 
frequently  shown  similar  kind  and  gentlemanly  feeling  to 
strangers  even  amid  all  their  cares  and  anxieties.  In  the  pres 
ent  case,  and  while  his  visitor  was  actually  with  him,  he  was 
receiving  important  communications,  to  which  careful  answers 
had  to  be  returned.  On  the  23d  of  May,  a  dispatch  came  from 
Port  Hudson,  stating  that  the  enemy  was  about  to  cross  at 
Bayou  Sara,  and  the  whole  force  from  Baton  Rouge  was  in 
front  of  General  Gardner.  To  this  he  sent  renewed  orders  to 
evacuate  Port  Hudson.  "  You  cannot  be  reinforced,"  said  he. 
"  Do  not  allow  yourself  to  be  invested.  At  every  risk  save 


278  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

the  troops,  and  if  practicable,  move  in  this  direction."  Dis 
patches  also  arrived  from  General  Pernberton.  dated  Vicksburg, 
May  20th,  and  21st,  To  these,  on  the  29th,  he  replied,  "I  arn 
too  weak  to  save  Yicksbnrg.  Can  do  no  more  than  attempt  to 
save  you  and  your  garrison.  It  will  be  impossible  to  extricate 
you,  unless  you  co-operate,  and  we  make  mutually  supporting 
movements.  Communicate  your  plans  and  suggestions,  if  pos 
sible." 

After  this,  much  more  correspondence  with  Pemberton,  and 
also  with  the  Secretary  of  War,  at  Richmond,  took  place,  all 
having  the  same  purport,  viz.,  that  he  (General  Johnston)  was 
too  weak  to  relieve  Yicksbnrg,  and  had  not  at  his  disposal  half 
the  troops  necessary.  To  the  Secretary  of  War,  on  the  12th  of 
June,  he  again  said  the  same,  adding,  "To  take  from  Bragg  a 
force  which  would  make  this  army  fit  to  oppose  Grant,  would 
involve  yielding  Tennessee.  It  is  for  the  Government  to  de 
cide  between  this  State  and  Tennessee." 

At  intervals,  similar  communications  took  place,  and  a 
movement  of  the  army  was  made  on  the  29th  of  June,  towards 
the  Big  Black,  with  a  view  of  giving  some  relief  to  Pemberton. 
But,  on  the  5th  of  July,  General  Johnston  learned  that  Yicks- 
burg  had  fallen  to  the  victorious  Federal  arms,  and  accordingly, 
he  marched  back,  and  encamped  again  at  Jackson.  There, 
however,  he  was  not  allowed  to  remain  long  in  peace.  On  the 
morning  of  the  9th,  General  Sherman  appeared,  in  heavy  force, 
in  front  of  the  works  thrown  up  for  the  defence  of  the  place, 
and  commenced  intrenching,  and  constructing  batteries.  Next 
day  some  spirited  skirmishing,  with  slight  cannonading,  oc 
curred  ;  and  on  the  following  day  an  assault  was  made  on  Gen 
eral  Breckinridge's  lines.  On  the  16th.  General  Johnston  found 
that  it  would  be  impossible  to  hold  the  city,  and,  accordingly, 
that  night  evacuated  it,  and  retired  towards  Brandon. 

It  is  not  to  be  denied,  that  these  defeats  and  losses  to  the 
Confederates  in  the  Mississippi  department,  produced  much 
despondency  and  complaint.  Upon  the  conduct  of  General 
Johnston  many  animadversions  were  cast,  and  an  attempt  was 
made  to  throw  the  whole  blame  upon  him.  In  his  official  re 
port  he  gives  a  long  account  of  all  his  movements,  and  the 
orders  he  had  issued,  asserting,  that  in  important  ones,  General 
Pemberton  had  not  obeyed  him.  To  this  we  must  add,  that,  all 


GENERAL    JOSEPH    EGGLESTON   JOHNSTON.  279 

throughout,  the  wounds  he  had  received,  and  his  general  ill 
health,  made  him  less  fit  for  the  superintendence  of  active  ope 
rations  than  might  otherwise  have  been  the  case,  and  he  him 
self  constantly  urged  this  upon  the  authorities  at  Richmond. 

On  the  27th  of  July,  General  Johnston  went  to  Mobile  to 
examine  the  fortifications  there,  leaving  his  army  camped  at 
Enterprise  and  Brandon,  under  the  direct  command  of  Genera1 
Hardee.  While  there,  he  carefully  inspected  the  works,  and 
made  a  map  of  them,  ultimately  deciding  that  they  required 
strengthening  immediately,  though,  said  he,  "  Mobile  is  the 
most  defensible  seaport  position  in  the  Confederate  States." 
It  is  related,  that  when  he  was  told  there  was  an  idea  afloat  in 
the  city,  of  his  coming  there  to  order  its  evacuation,  he  re 
plied,  "  Had  that  been  my  purpose,  I  should  not  have  shown 
my  countenance  among  you.  I  am  here  for  the  directly  oppo 
site  purpose,  of  looking  into  your  defences,  and  preparing  to 
hold  your  city/' 

For  the  next  few  weeks  General  Johnston  appears  to  have 
been  visiting  the  principal  posts  of  his  department,  and  con 
sulting  with  the  several  generals  in  command.  It  was  sup 
posed  that  he  had  superseded  General  Bragg,  at  Chattanooga, 
but  this  seems  to  have  been  a  similar  mistake  to  that  made  on 
a  previous  occasion,  when  he  was  seen  there.  However,  on  the 
15th  of  September,  he  visited  Atlanta,  Georgia,  and  afterwards 
was  actively  engaged  in  collecting  troops,  directing  their  move 
ments,  and  supporting  Bragg  and  Longstreet,  in  Tennessee,  as 
required.  At  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  General  Johnston 
held  a  force  of  30,000  troops  in  reserve,  at  Kingston,  fifteen 
miles  from  the  scene  of  contest,  besides  5,000  cavalry,  under 
General  Pillow,  and  15,000  Georgia  militia.  This  was  done  so 
as  to  keep  a  strong  body  of  reinforcements  ready,  in  case  Gen 
eral  Burnside  arrived  to  join  Rosecrans.  As  this  did  not  oc 
cur,  General  Johnston  had  no  occasion  to  use  his  men,  General 
Bragg  having  effected  what  was  desired,  in  driving  the  enemy 
back.  In  the  early  part  of  October,  he  so  arranged  the  Con 
federate  army  in  Tennessee  and  North  Georgia,  that  one  com 
mand,  of  some  58,000  men,  occupied  the  centre  from  Lafayette 
to  Look-Out  Mountain,  near  Chattanooga :  Longstreet  on  the 
left,  from  Bridgeport,  on  the  Tennessee,  to  Trenton,  with 
44r,000  men  ;  and  Bragg  the  right,  from  Dalton  to  Cleveland, 


280  SOUTHERN    GENEKALS. 

with  57,000  men.     The  cavalry  was  under  General  Wheeler, 
and  numbered  15,000  strong. 

At  about  the  same  time  President  Davis  again  visited  the 
arm}',  and  on  the  10th  of  October  reviewed  the  troops,  and  ex 
amined  the  defences  before  Chattanooga  ;  but  General  Johns 
ton  was  away  on  an  extensive  inspection  tour. 

On  the  4th  he  dates  a  dispatch  from  Meridian,  north  Missis 
sippi  ;  and  after  that  we  have  little  account  of  his  movements 
until,  when,  in  December,  General  Bragg  was  at  last  removed, 
in  accordance  with  popular  opinion,  and  General  Johnston  ap 
pointed  to  the  field  command  of  the  army  in  Tennessee,  then 
temporarily  held  by  General  Hardee,  On  the  27th  of  Decem 
ber  he  assumed  command  at  Dalton,  Georgia. 

Commenting  upon  this  appointment,  and  the  correspondence 
between  President  Davis  and  General  Johnston,  concerning 
General  Bragg,  which  we  have  already  given  in  its  proper 
date,  though  only  made  public  at  this  time,  the  Richmond  En 
quirer  remarks : 

"  The  manly  sentiments,  and  lofty  sense  of  honor  exhibited 
by  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  in  the  correspondence  with 
the  President,  recently  published,  relative  to  the  removal  of 
General  Bragg,  have  given  him  a  new  claim  upon  the  public 
sympathy  and  admiration,  and  are  receiving  their  just  praise. 
The  Atlanta  Register,  while  declaring  that  the  announcement 
of  the  appointment  of  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  army  of  Tennessee  will  be  hailed  'with  delight 
by  the  army  and  the  people,'  adds,  that  '  he  is  an  officer  of 
generous  and  noble  impulses,  as  is  evidenced  by  his  letters  to 
the  President  in  reference  to  the  hero  of  Murfreesboro  and 
Chickamauga.' ': 

There  seemed,  however,  to  be  a  cloud  over  the  prospects  of 
the  Confederates  at  this  time.  Grant,  Sherman,  and  Thomas 
were  making  rapid  strides  in  successful  encounters  with  the 
Southern  forces  ;  and  again,  was  a  retreat  found  necessary  by 
General  Johnston,  who,  the  latter  part  of  January,  1864,  fell 
back  from  Dalton,  and  his  advanced  posts.  On  the  7th  of 
February  he  was  encamped  at  Rome,  Georgia  ;  but  again  ad 
vanced  to  Dalton  shortly  afterwards.  At  the  same  time  the 
Federals  made  an  attempt  to  get  possession  of  the  place,  but 
were  driven  back. 


GENERAL   JOSEPH   EGGLESTON   JOHNSTON".  281 

In  March,  the  movements  of  the  Northern  army  indicated 
that  a  vigorous  attempt  would  be  made  to  penetrate  through 
Georgia,  and  therefore  General  Johnston  concentrated  a  strong 
force  around  Dalton,  to  oppose  the  enemy's  advance.  What 
the  condition  of  his  army  was  at  this  period  may  be  gathered 
from  the  following  letter,  written  to  the  Mobile  Advertiser,  in 
April.  The  writer  says  : 

"'  I  am  happy  to  be  able  to  say,  that  the  condition  of  our  army 
is  splendid  in  every  respect.  It  is  well  fed,  well  clad,  in  ex 
cellent  health,  and  in  high  and  hopeful  spirits..  For  the  first 
time  in  its  history  it  has  no  barefoot  soldier.  .  .  . 

"  General  Johnston  is  unquestionably  a  great  captain  in  the 
science  of  war.  In  ninety  days  he  has  so  transformed  this- 
army,  that  I  can  find  no  word  to  express  the  extent  of  the 
transformation,  but  the  word  regeneration.  It  is  a  regenera 
ted  army.  lie  found  it  ninety  days  ago  disheartened,  despair 
ing,  and  on  the  verge  of  dissolution.  By  judicious  measures 
he  has  restored  confidence,  re  established  discipline,  and  ex 
alted  the  hearts  of  his  army.  The  army  of  Tennessee,  the  most 
ill-starred  and  successless  of  all  our  armies,  has  seen  its  wors-t 
days. 

"  Let  us  hope,  that  it  will  have  'no  more  retreats,  and  no 
more  defeats.'  I  have  a  firm  faith  now  in  the  future  of  the  army 
of  Tennessee  and  its  great  captain.  Let  him  but  be  unfettered, 
and  furnished  with  adequate  means,  and  all  will  be  well.  He 
is  very  fortunate  in  having  such  thorough  soldiers  as  Hood, 
and  Hardee,  and  Stewart,  and  Cleburne,  to  direct  his  columns, 
and  execute  his  orders.  With  such  leaders,  it  seems  to  me, 
that  defeat  is  impossible.  The  intrepid  dash,  and  the  young, 
burning  enthusiasm  of  Hood  are  directed  by  military  genius, 
and  controlled  by  a  rare  and  high  intelligence.  Hardee  is  al 
ways  prompt,  ready,  perfect,  and  successful.  The  calm,  stoic 
Stewart,  silent,  stern,  poised,  imperturbable,  never  fails,  never 
errs,  and  never  dallies.  He  is  ever  at  the  right  place,  at  the 
opportune  moment.  Cleburne  is  not  merely,  though  he  is  al 
together,  a  lion  in  battle,  but  he  has  the  genius  to  *•  ride  upon 
the  whirlwind,  and  direct  the  storm '  of  the  mighty  conflict. 
With  these  generals  there  will  be  no  dallying,  no  blunders,  no 
i  lost  opportunities,'  no  disobedience  of  orders. 

"  General  Johnston  has  two   modes  of   stopping  deserters. 


282  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

One  is,  by  liberal  furloughs,  allowing  all  to  go  home  by  turns, 
and  the  other  is,  by  the  inexorable  doom  of  death  to  deserters. 
He  lias  announced,  in  general  orders,  that  he  will  grant  no  par 
dons,  and  the  doomed  must  die.  The  court-martial  have,  at 
last,  come  to  discover  the  necessity  of  punishing  deserters  with 
death,  and  few  now  escape.  There  are  upwards  of  a  dozen 
soldiers  now  awaiting  execution  of  the  death  penalty  for  de 
sertion.  Some  are  to  hang  ;  some  to  be  shot." 

At  length,  on  the  2d  of  May,  simultaneous  with  the  onward 
movement  of  Grant  in  Virginia,  Sherman  began  his  grand 
inarch  into  Georgia.  The  Federal  advance  was  in  three  col 
umns — Thomas  moving  in  front,  direct  upon  Johnston's  centre 
at  Dalton,  with  his  advance  at  Ringgold  and  Tunnel  Hill; 
Schofield,  from  Cleveland,  thirty  miles  northeast  of  Chatta 
nooga,  via  Red  Clay,  on  the  Georgia  line,  to  unite  with 
Thomas ;  and  McPherson,  by  a  flank  movement  of  some  forty 
or  fifty  miles  upon  Johnston's  line  of  communications  at 
Resaca,  a  station  on  the  Western  and  Atlantic  railroad,  at  the 
crossing  of  the  Oostanaula  river,  eighty-four  miles  from  Atlanta, 
and  fifteen  miles  south  of  Dalton. 

The  attack  was  made  first  on  the  7th  of  May,  by  General 
Thomas,  who  drove  Johnston's  advance  back  to  a  place  called 
Buzzard  Roost,  just  north  of  Dalton.  Johnston,  knowing  the 
importance  of  Resaca,  and  hearing  of  McPhersori's  movement, 
evacuated  Dalton,  and  hastened  to  Resaca,  which  he  reached 
just  before  the  Federal  advance. 

On  the  14th  of  May  the  two  armies  came  into  collision  close 
to  Resaca,  at  a  place  called  Sugar  Valley.  General  Sherman 
was  determined  to  force  his  way,  and  General  Johnston 
equally  as  determined  to  prevent  him.  In  quick  time  he  got 
up  breastworks  and  gave  the  enemy  battle.  At  first  he  ap 
peared  to  be  victorious,  driving  the  Federals  back  some 
distance,  but,  eventually,  he  had  to  retire,  and,  after  some 
desultory  fighting  on  the  15th  and  16th,  he  retreated  to  the 
Etowah  river,  passing  through  Kingston  and  Cassville.  At 
both  places  fighting  occurred,  and  Rome  was  occupied  by  a 
portion  of  Sherman's  victorious  troops.  Johnston  still  re 
treated  towards  Altoona,  where  he  made  a  stand,  but  with 
their  inferiority  of  numbers,  they  were  soon  forced  from  this 
position  by  another  movement  of  the  enemy  in  their  flank,  by 


GENERAL   JOSEPH   EGGLESTON   JOHNSTON.  283 

which  the  Federal  left  reached  the  railroad  near  Marietta  on 
Monday,  May  30th. 

It  is  with  something  of  regret  that  we  are  compelled,  from 
want  of  space,  to  omit  most  of  those  interesting  details  that 
are  to  be  found  connected  with  the  movements  of  both  armies 
during  this  celebrated  advance  through  Georgia  on  the  one 
side,  and  the  masterly  retreat  on  the  other.  It  is  quite  impos 
sible  to  do  complete  justice  to  such  earnest  and  devoted  men 
in  a  mere  outline  sketch  of  their  eventful  lives,  or  to  narrate, 
within  the  limits  of  one  volume,  all  the  incidents  of  interest 
and  importance  connected  with  them. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Cincinnati  Commercial,  dating  from 
Resaca,  May  26th,  says  : 

"The  designs  of  Sherman  are  now  somewhat  less  mysterious. 
Last  night  Howard,  Palmer,  Hooker,  Logan,  and  Dodge's 
corps  were  at,  and  slightly  beyond,  Dallas — a  point  on  the 
flank  of  the  rebel  position  in  the  Altoona  mountains,  in  what 
is  known  as  Hickory  gap,  ten  miles  southeast  of  Etowah,  the 
station  where  the  railroad  crosses  the  Etowah  river.  At  the 
point  where  the  railroad  pierces  the  Altoona  mountains,  forty 
miles  from  Atlanta,  Johnston  had  halted  for  resistance,  occu 
pying  a  very  strong,  natural,  and  powerfully  fortified  position. 
Before  we  could  attack  him  in  front  it  was  necessary  to  cross 
the  Etowah  river,  and  march  up  the  steep  and  rugged  slopes 
of  the  mountains  which  abut  on  the  stream.  When  the  army 
moved  on  Monday,  Schofield's  corps  moved  to  Etowah,  and 
succeeded  in  laying  pontoons,  making,  the  while,  at  several 
points,  demonstrations  leading  the  enemy  to  believe  that  we 
proposed  to  attack  him  directly  in  front. 

"  While  Schofield  was  thus  engaged,  the  rest  of  the  army 
marched  rapidly  to  the  Etowah  river,  and  crossed  without 
serious  opposition  at  a  point  about  fifteen  miles  below  the 
railroad  bridge.  Immediately  resuming  the  line  of  march, 
and  with  but  light  skirmishing,  reached  Dallas  last  evening — 
about  thirty  miles  from  Atlanta,  and  within  a  short  march  of 
Marietta,  a  station  on  the  railroad  directly  in  the  rear  of  the 
rebel  position  at  Altoona.  Schofield  has  crossed  the  river  near 
Etowah  station,  and  is  moving  down  the  ridge  to  join  the 
main  body,  his  rear  guard  skirmishing  constantly  with  the 
enemy. 


SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

"Johnston  is  thus  compelled  to  abandon  his  strong  position 
in  the  Altoona  mountains,  and  fight,  if  at  all,  in  the  open 
country  south  of  there.  Cannonading  has  been  heard  to-day, 
and  the  impression  prevails  that  a  battle  is  in  progress  to-day 
near  Marietta. 

"  A  courier  from  Johnston  to  his  chief  of  cavalry,  General 
Jackson,  was  captured  day  before  yesterday,  bearing  a  note  of 
inquiry  from  the  former,  asking  immediate  information  of 
Sherman's  movements  on  his  flanks.  'The  courier  was  taken 
before  General  Thomas,  who  removed  his  clothes  and  dressed  a 
trusty  scout  of  his  own  in  them,  with  an  answer  to  Johnston's 
message.  What  this  answer  was  is  not  generally  known,  but 
it  is  presumed  that  it  did  not  communicate  the  movements  of 
our  forces  with  exactness." 

Another  correspondent  says,  after  a  graphic  account  of  pre 
vious  movements,  "  So  far  General  Johnston  has  conducted 
his  retreat  in  a  masterly  manner.  He  has  finally  succeeded  in 
crossing  the  Etowah  river,  at  the  cliffs,  eight  miles  from  here, 
(Kingston)  and  there  can  be  no  more  opportunities  for  forcing 
him  to  fight.  ...  A  great  battle  will  undoubtedly  be  fought 
somewhere  between  here  and  Atlanta." 

On  the  28th  of  May  there  was  an  encounter  between 
General  Cleburne's  division  of  Johnston's  army  and  the  ad 
vance  of  the  enemy,  under  McPherson,  at  New  Hope  ;  and, 
after  that,  each  party  kept  maneuvering  for  positions  until 
near  the  end  of  June  without  another  battle.  At  length,  on 
the  27th  of  June,  Sherman  gave  orders  for  an  attack  upon 
Johnston's  position,  then  at  Kenesaw  mountain,  near  Marietta. 
At  8  A.  M.  General  McPherson  attacked  at  the  southwest 
end  of  the  mountain,  and  General  Thomas  at  a  point  about  a 
mile  further  south.  At  the  same  time,  the  skirmishers  and 
artillery  along  the  whole  line  kept  up  a  sharp  fire.  Neither 
attack  succeeded,  though  both  columns  reached  Johnston's 
works,  which  were  very  strong.  General  McPherson  lost 
about  500  men,  and  General  Thomas  about  2,000.  The  loss 
was  particularly  heavy  to  the  Federals  in  general,  and 
field  officers.  General  Harker  was  one  of  those  mortally 
wounded,  while  on  the  side  of  the  Confederates  the  loss  was 
trifling. 

General  Sherman,  however,  speedily  rectified  this  by  another 


GENERAL    JOSEPH    EGGLESTON   JOHNSTON-.  285 

flank  movement,  which  compelled  General  Johnston  to  aban 
don  the  mountain,  arid  retreat  towards  Atlanta,  leaving  the 
enemy  to  occupy  Marietta.  This  continued  retrograde  move 
ment  naturally  produced  considerable  disappointment  and 
murmuring  in  the  South.  Many  were  the  comments  made  upon 
it,  and  not  a  few  sharp  reasons  referring,  not  only  to  General 
Johnston,  but  to  the  authorities  at  Richmond,  were  given  for 
such  repeated  falling  back.  A  commander-in-chief  of  an  army 
is  compelled  to  do  many  things  that  may  appear  to  his  com 
mand,  and  to  the  public,  injudicious.  There  are  reasons  and 
causes  never  known  to  others,  which  cannot  be  fully  explained, 
and  are  only  known  by  those  to  whom  he  is  responsible,  which 
may  compulsorily  influence  his  actions  ;  and  that  general  or 
officer  is  quite  unworthy  of  his  high  position  who  has  not,  in 
addition  to  his  military  skill  and  personal  bravery,  that  sound 
and  healthy  moral  courage  which  will  enable  him  in  need  to 
act  independently  of  the  opinions  of  irresponsible  persons. 
We  do  not  say  that  all  seeming  errors  can  be  thus  excused, 
nor  do  we  venture  this  as  an  excuse  for  General  Johnston,  if 
one  be  needed  for  him ;  the  thought,  however,  should  ever 
serve  to  moderate  sharp  comments  or  severe  criticism  that 
after  events  may  possibly  prove  to  be  unjust. 

The  Confederate  army  had  now  fallen  back  to  Atlanta,  and, 
on  the  18th  of  July,  the  troops  and  the  general  public  were 
greatly  surprised  by  an  announcement  that  General  Johnston 
had  been  relieved,  and  General  Hood  assigned  to  the  command 
on  the  previous  day.  The  following  address  was  then  issued 
by  General  Johnston  to  his  army  : 

HEADQURTERS,  ARMY  OF  TENNESSEE,  July  17, 1864. 

In  obedience  to  the  orders  of  the  War  Department,  I  turn 
over  to  General  Hood  the  command  of  the  Army  arid  Depart 
ment  of  Tennessee.  I  cannot  leave  this  noble  army  without 
expressing  my  admiration  for  the  high  military  qualities  it  has 
displayed  so  conspicuously — every  soldierly  virtue,  endurance 
of  toil,  obedience  to  orders,  brilliant  courage. 

The  enemy  has  never  attacked  but  to  be  severely  repulsed 
and  punished.  You,  soldiers,  have  never  argued  but  from 
your  courage,  and  never  counted  your  fears.  No  longer  your 
leader,  I  will  still  watch  your  career,  and  will  rejoice  in  your 


286  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

victories.     To  one  and  all  I  offer  assurances  of  my  friendship 

and  bid  an  affectionate  ferewell. 

J.  E.  JOHNSTON,  General. 

With  this  last  public  address  of  General  Johnston's,  we  have 
to  close  our  sketch.  He  retired  to  Macon,  Georgia,  where,  for 
the  past  few  months,  we  believe,  he  has  been  residing,  and, 
let  us  hope,  with  renewed  health,  and  increased  strength  to 
his  great,  capacious  mind.  That  the  public  will  allow  him  to 
remain  thus  private,  when  his  military  experience  and  counsel 
can  prove  of  such  value  to  his  cause,  is  doubtful,  if  we  may 
judge  from  the  following  extracts  : 

"  It  was  a  black  day  for  the  Army  of  Tennessee,  the  day  the 
command  was  taken  from  General  Johnston. 

"The  Confederacy  has  three  generals  of  the  highest  rank. 
Each  of  them  has  shown  himself  equal  to  every  emergency. 
In  the  hands  of  these  generals  it  would  be  safe.  One  of  them 
ought  to  command  each  of  the  three  great  armies — viz.,  Lee, 
the  army  below  Richmond  ;  Johnston,  the  army  of  Tennessee; 
and  Beauregard,  the  Trans-Mississippi  army.  Had  such  been 
the  arrangement,  Banks  would  have  been  captured  last  spring; 
Forrest  would  have  assisted  Johnston  by  cutting  off  Sherman's 
supplies,  and  he  would  have  been  forced  to  fight  at  a  disad 
vantage,  or  fall  back  into  Tennessee ;  Early  would  have  en 
tered  Washington,  and  Grant  would  have  been  bound  to 
change  his  base.  But  only  one  of  these  great  generals,  it 
seems,  finds  favor.  The  other  two  are  proscribed,  never  placed 
where  they  can  be  of  any  great  service. 

" '  Quicquid  delirant  reges  plectuntur  Acliivi.' 

"The  people  are  suffering  prodigiously  from  this  decision. 
But  no  matter !  It  is  the  royal  decree. 


"  Another  practical  suggestion  is  embraced  in  the  following 
paragraph  from  the  Augusta  Constitutionalist,  one  of  the  most 
constant  and  able  supporters  of  the  President.  That  journal 
says:  'Let  General  Johnston  be  placed  in  command  of  the 
army  of  Tennessee,  having  control  of  all  the  country  adjacent 
thereto — give  General  Beauregard  command  of  the  armies  of 


GENERAL   JOSEPH    EGGLESTON   JOHNSTON.  287 

Georgia  and  South  Carolina,  and  General  Lee  command  of  the 
army  of  Virginia  and  its  adjuncts.' 

•*  #  #  # 

"  We  may  not  vindicate  the  removal  of  the  brave  and  judi 
cious  Johnston,  we  may  not  approve  of  the  course  of  the  Presi 
dent  in  other  respects,  but  we  are  satisfied  that  the  time  and 
talents  devoted  to  opposition  and  complaint  is  so  much  de 
ducted  from  the  great  duty  of  resisting  the  enemy." 


GENERAL  SAMUEL  COOPER. 

THERE  are  some  men  whose  career  through  life  never  dis 
plays  itself  by  much  public  fame,  and  yet  whose  services  are, 
and  have  been  fully  equal,  in  their  real  value,  to  those  of  gen 
erals  and  commanders,  appearing  more  prominently  on  the 
scene  of  every-day  life.  Statesmen,  high  officials  of  the  gov 
ernment,  advisers  of  the  constituted  authorities,  adjutants, 
commissariat  officers,  heads  of  departments,  medical  directors, 
and  others,  rarely  come  forward  in  the  world's  blazonry  with 
that  display  common  usage  has  affixed  to  the  deeds  of  military 
or  naval  heroes.  Yet  those  very  men  often  deserve  as  much 
credit,  and  sometimes  far  more,  than  is  awarded  to  commanders 
on  the  battlefield.  Their  astute,  clear,  calm,  and  penetrating 
minds — their  wise  judgment,  and  masterly  ability,  quietly 
plan,  arrange,  and  direct,  what  is  often  brilliantly  accom 
plished  by  the  chief  of  a  division,  or  the  head  of  an  army. 
Had  General  Lee  retained  his  post  as  military  adviser,  or 
whatever  it  was,  in  the  spring  of  1862,  it  is  very  probable 
he  would  not  have  been  so  greatly  noted  as  he  is.  Indeed,  we 
hear  but  little  of  him  during  that  period  ;  and  yet  he  was  skil 
fully  planning  and  directing  important  movements.  So,  with 
the  subject  of  our  present  sketch,  whose  valuable  services  as 
adjutant-general,  both  in  the  North  and  South,  have  been 
generally  admitted. 

With  any  minute  particulars  of  General  Cooper's  career,  the 
public  is  not  yet  familiar,  except  through  those  ordinary  offi 
cial  channels  which  give  notices  of  appointments  and  dates  of 
changes.  Consequently,  we  can  do  little  more  at  present  than 
put  such  before  the  reader,  to  show  who  and  what  he  is. 

General  Cooper  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  in  the 
year  1798,  and  entered  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point, 
when  only  fifteen  years  old.  At  that  time,  the  period  of  study 


**" 


GENERAL    SAMUEL    COOPER.  289 

was  not  so  long  as  now,  and,  consequently,  he  graduated  in 
1815,  receiving  his  commission  as  brevet  second-lieutenant  of 
Light  Artillery,  on  the  llth  of  December,  in  that  year.  He 
obtained  the  full  rank  of  a  lieutenancy  in  1817,  and  when,  in 
1821,  the  army  was  reorganized,  he  was  retained  in  the  rank 
he  then  held.  Shortly  afterwards,  he  became  first-lieutenant 
of  the  Third  Artillery,  and  in  1824,  was  transferred  to  the 
Fourth.  Here  he  remained  four  years,  and  then  became  aid- 
de-camp  to  General  Macomb,  serving  in  that  capacity  until 
the  year  1830.  These  times  were  days  of  peace,  and  we  see 
little  recorded  of  note  to  mark  the  military  career  of  any  man. 
In  1831,  Cooper  was  brevetted  captain  "for  faithful  service, 
ten  years  in  one  grade."  Five  years  afterwards,  he  became 
full  captain,  and  in  1817,  lie  was  made  brevet  major  of  the 
staff  (assistant  adjutant-general).  The  following  year,  he  was 
brevetted  colonel  of  the  staff,  "  for  meritorious  conduct,"  par 
ticularly  in  the  performance  of  his  duties  in  the  prosecution 
of  the  Mexican  war.  These  duties-  appear  to  have  been  the 
onerous  ones  attached  to  the  department  of  the  adjutant- gen 
eral,  and  so  peculiarly  skilled  was  he  in  that  office  that,  in 
1852,  he  was  appointed  head  of  the  department,,  with  the  rank 
of  colonel  in  the  army. 

Adjutant-general  Cooper  was  now  at  the  summit  of  that 
branch  of  his  profession,  in  which  he-  had  labored  so  many 
years  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  army,  and  approval  of  the 
United  States  government,  as  well  as  the  general  public.  At 
that  time,  Charles  M.  Conrad,  of  Louisiana,  was  secretary  of 
war,  under  President  Fillmore's  administration  ;  but,  on  the 
5th  of  March,  1853,  Jefferson  Davis  assumed  control  of  the 
war  office,  and  thus  the  present  head  of  the  Confederate  States 
and  Adjutant-general  Cooper  must  have  continually  come  in 
contact  with  each  other.  How  far  this  may  have  influenced 
his  after  conduct,  as  regards  the  severance  of  the  Union,  we 
cannot  say ;  but,  it  is  strated,  that  his  political  principles  were 
well  known  to  be  adverse  to  the  present  policy  of  the  admin 
istration  in  the  Xorth,  and  though  faithfully  performing  his 
duties  to  the  last  moment  of  Buchanan's  reign  in  power,  he 
immediately  resigned  when  President  Lincoln  was  installed. 
Fie  sent  in,  his  resignation  on  the  7th  of  March,  1861,  at  the 
same  time  with  Assistant  Adjutant-general  Withers,  and  both 


290  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

were  accepted,  to  be  considered  as  taking  effect  on  the  1st  of 
March.  Possibly,  as  General  Cooper  is  a  connection  (we  be 
lieve  brother-in-law)  of  Mr.  Mason,  other  than  mere  political 
reasons  may  have  led  to  this  great  severance  of  his  long  asso 
ciation  with  the  government,  and  with  his  native  North. 

It  is  singular  that  about  the  last  official  order  signed  by 
Adjutant-general  Cooper,  should  have  been  the  following: 

WAR  DEPARTMENT,  March  1, 1861. 

By  the  direction  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  it  is 
ordered  that  Brigadier-general  David  E.  Twiggs,  be,  and  is 
hereby  dismissed  from  the  army  of  the  United  States,  for  his 
treachery  to  the  flag  of  his  country,  in  having  surrendered  on 
the  18th  of  February,  1861,  on  the  demand  of  the  authorities 
of  Texas,  the  military  posts  and  other  property  of  the  United 
States  in  his  department,  and  under  his  charge. 

J.  HOLT,  Secretary  of  War. 
By  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 

S.  COOPER,  Adjutant-general. 

General  Cooper  immediately  went  to  Montgomery,  where 
he  arrived  on  the  loth  of  March,  and  tendered  his  services  to 
President  Davis.  These  were  cheerfully  accepted,  and  the 
next  day  he  was  appointed  Adjutant-general  of  the  Confed 
erate  States, — a  position,  to  some  timid  minds,  the  least  en 
viable  of  any  to  be  found.  The  president,  and  secretary  of 
war,  the  commanding  general,  might,  each  and  all,  determine 
upon  open  strife  with  the  North,  and  have  great  abilities  for 
carrying  it  on  ;  but  where  was  the  material  to  work  with  ? 
Fighting  could  not  be  done  without  soldiers ;  soldiers  could 
not  be  obtained  without  much  careful  thought  as  to  the  best 
method  of  procuring  the  men  ;  and  men  could  not  be  turned 
into  an  army  of  soldiers  without  skilful  organization.  The 
master  mind  to  do  this,  however,  for  the  new  confederacy, 
came  forward  at  the  very  moment  such  was  wanted.  With 
his  perfect  knowledge  of  all  the  intricate  machinery  necessary, 
and  his  long  acquaintance  with  the  inner  workings  of  the 
regular  army  of  the  United  States  government,  General 
Cooper  stepped  in  to  the  precise  place  requiring  to  be  filled, 
and  undoubtedly  must  have  been  hailed  as  one  of  the  most 
valuable  aids  to  the  cause,  that  could  have  been  offered.  He 


GENERAL   SAMUEL   COOPER.  291 

must,  however,  have  possessed  a  strong  and  determined  will, 
fearless  of  all  consequences,  to  have  undertaken  the  duties  of 
such  a  post.  To  the  South,  he  gave  more  than  himself; — he 
gave  the  vast  energies  of  a  capacious  mind,  fully  stored  with 
the  knowledge  and  acquirements  of  many  years  experience  in 
the  duties  of  one  of  the  most  arduous  and  complicated  services 
relating  to  the  army.  To  the  North,  he  made  himself  some 
thing,  perhaps  more  to  be  dreaded,  through  the  peculiar 
powers  he  possessed,  than  even  a  general  in  the  field,  for  the 
latter,  could,  possibly,  be  beaten  back,  and  his  forces  destroyed. 
An  adjutant-general,  however,  such  as  Cooper,  might  speedily 
reproduce  the  whole,  and  thus  in  a  measure,  nullifying  what 
ever  of  success  the  enemy  of  his  cause  may  have  attained. 

The  proceedings  of  General  Cooper,  after  being  appointed  to 
his  office,  have  not  much  individuality  in  themselves.  Occa 
sionally  his  name  appeared,  in  reference  to  some  important 
matter  connected  with  the  army,  but  his  duties  rarely  brought 
him  personally  forward.  In  the  latter  part  of  July,  1861,  he 
had  some  correspondence  with  General  Johnston,  respecting 
the  alleged  hanging  by  the  Federals  of  two  captives  taken  by 
them.  The  following  letters  explain  the  matter  : 

ADJUTANT  AND  INSPECTOR  GENERAL'S  OFFICE,  ) 
'RICHMOND,  July  29,  1861.        } 
To  General  J.  E.  JOHNSTON,  Commanding  Army  of  Potomac,  Manassas,  Va. 

SIR — Your  letter  of  the  24th  instant,  inclosing  one  of  the 
26th  from  General  Bonham,  reporting  the  hanging  of  two 
sentinels  of  the  South  Carolina  troops,  who  were  captured  On 
the  17th  instant,  by  the  enemy,  near  Centerville,  has  been  re 
ceived  and  submitted  to  the  President,  who  instructs  me  to 
state,  that  you  will  send  a  flag  to  the  general  commanding 
the  forces  in  front  of  you,  report  to  him  the  case,  and  require 
that  he  deliver  to  you,  as  criminals,  the  persons  who  perpe 
trated  the  offence,  or  avow  his  responsibility  for  the  act ;  and, 
in  the  latter  case,  that  you  will  retaliate,  retaining  in  your 
possession  for  that  purpose,  of  the  enemy,  twice  the  number  of 
those  of  our  troops  that  were  thus  ignominiously  executed. 
Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

S.  COOPER, 

Adjutant  and  Inspector-general. 
(Official)       R.  H.  CHILTON,  A.  A.  G. 


292  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 


GENERAL  JOHNSTON  TO  GENERAL  COOPER. 

ARTERS,  MA; 
August  6,  1861. 


HEADQUARTERS,  MANASSAS,  } 


To  General  COOPER,  A.  and  I.  G. : 

SIB — On  the  21st  ultimo,  in  obedience  to  orders  received 
through  your  office,  I  addressed  to  Brigadier-general  Mc 
Dowell,  commanding  the  department  of  Alexandria,  a  letter, 
a  copy  of  which  is  inclosed  herewith.  A  reply  was  returned 
to  our  outposts,  but  being  addressed  like  one  which  I  had  a 
few  days  before  refused  to  receive,  on  account  of  the  super 
scription,  Colonel  Stuart  refused  to  transmit  it.  He  ascer 
tained,  however,  that  the  alleged  hanging  of  our  two  volun 
teers  was  denied  by  General  McDowell. 

Since  then  two  other  papers,  inclosed,  were  sent  under  flags 
of  truce,  the  bearer  not  being  admitted.  I  send  them  merely 
to  show  the  obstinacy  with  which  the  enemy  avoids  the  estab 
lished  mode  of  communication. 

Most  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)  J.  E.  JOHNSTON,  General. 

(Official)        R.  H.  CHILTON,  A.  A.  G. 

Colonel  Stuart  was  informed  in  reply  to  his  references  of  the 
messages,  that  when  properly  addressed,  we  would  give  any 
aid  in  our  power  to  Colonel  Cameron's  friends  in  their 

search. 

J.  E.  J. 


GENERAL  JOHNSTON  TO  GENERAL  M'DOWELL. 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC,  ) 
MANASSAS  JUNCTION,  July  21, 1861.     f 

SIR — Information  has  been  given  to  me  that  two  soldiers  of 
the  army  of  the  Confederate  States,  whilst  under  picket 
duty,  were  hung  near  Centre ville,  on  the  night  of  the  17th 
instant. 

The  object  of  this  communication  is  to  ascertain  the  nature 
of  the  offence  which  required  this  ignominious  punishment, 
and  upon  what  evidence  the  decision  was  based. 

If  done  by  your  authority,  I  must  demand  that  the  perpe 
trators  of  this  violation  of  the  usages  of  civilized  warfare,  be 


GENERAL   SAMUEL   COOPER.  293 

delivered  to  me,  for  such  punishment  as  the  nature  of  the  of 
fence  demands,  or  be  punished  by  yourself. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obedient  servant, 
(Signed)  J.  E.  JOHNSTON, 

General  Commanding  C.  S.  Forces. 
(Official)        H.  H.  CHILTON,  A.  A.  G. 
To  Brigadier-general  IRWIN  MCDOWELL, 

Commanding  Department  of  Alexandria. 

In  March,  1862,  martial  law  was  proclaimed  in  certain  coun 
ties,  and  General  Cooper  at  once  put  it  in  execution  under 
charge  of  Generals  Heth  and  Marshall,  with  an  efficient  mili 
tary  police.  All  distillation  of  spirituous  liquors  was  positively 
prohibited,  and  the  distilleries  thenceforth  closed.  Even  the 
sale  of  spirituous  liquors  was  forbidden. 

About  the  same  time  it  was  found  necessary  to  call  in  to  the 
army  all  the  soldiers  who  were  absent,  whether  on  furlough  or 
from  any  other  cause,  except  well-attested  sickness.  His  gen 
eral  order  on  the  subject,  was  dated  March  24th,  1862. 

Another  of  his  orders,  just  after  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  or 
Seven  Pines,  and  referring  to  officers  in  battle,  may  be  worth 
recording  here.  It  says  : 

Officers  of  the  field  are  permitted  to  wear  a  fatigue  dress, 
consisting  of  the  regulation  frock  coat,  without  embroidery  on 
the  collar,  or  a  gray  jacket,  with  the  designation  of  rank  upon 
the  collar.  Only  caps  such  as  are  worn  by  the  privates  of 
their  respective  commands  may  be  worn  by  the  officers  of  the 
line. 

Mounted  officers  are  ordered  to  dismount  in  time  of  action, 
whenever  they  can  do  so  without  interference  with  the  proper 
discharge  of  their  duties. 

Officers  of  all  grades  are  reminded  that  unnecessary  expos 
ure  in  time  of  battle  on  the  part  of  commissioned  officers  is  not 
only  unsoldier-like,  but  productive  of  great  injury  to  the  army 
and  infinite  peril  to  the  country.  They  are  recommended  to 
follow  in  this  particular,  to  a  reasonable  extent,  the  excellent 
example  set  them  by  the  enemy. 

By  command  of  the  Secretary  of  War. 

S.  COOPER, 

Adjutant  and  Inspector-General. 
(Official)        GEO.  F.  FOOTE,  A.  A.  General. 


291  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

The  several  orders,  issued  by  General  Cooper,  have  been, 
however,  so  purely  military,  and  have  reference  solely  to  de 
tails  connected  with  the  perfect  working  of  the  Southern  army, 
that  to  repeat  them  here  would  be  merely  introducing  a  series 
of  official  documents.  The  preceding  specimens  are  sufficient 
to  give  an  idea  of  the  work  he  has  had  to  perform.  That  he 
executes  it  faithfully  and  vigorously  is  well  known,  and  the  ser 
vice  he  has  rendered  the  Confederate  States,  cannot  be  over 
rated. 


LT     GEN.    LGNCSTREE 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  JAMES  LONGSTREET. 


Birth,  Education,  and  Early  Life  of  Longstreet.— His  Services  in  Mexico. — Long- 
street  and  Meade. — Longstreet  Promoted. — Kesigns  in  the  U.  S.  Army  and  Joins  the 
South. — Battle  of  Bull  Run. — Yorktown. — Williarnshurg. — Heintzelman,  Hooker,  and 
Kearney. — Hancock's  Gallant  Charge. — Prince  de  Joinville,  the  Count  de  Paris,  and 
Due  de  Cliartres  in  the  Battle. — Battles  around  Richmond. — Longstreet's  march 
Through  Thoroughfare  Gap. — Death  of  a  Spy. — Second  Battle  of  Bull  Run. — Long- 
street  in  Maryland. — South  Mountain  and  Antietam. — Battle  of  Fredericksburg. — 
Assigned  to  the  Department  of  South  Virginia. — Siege  of  Suffolk.— Returns  to  Lee's 
Army. — Maryland.— Battle  of  Gettysburg. — Anecdotes. — Sent  to  Reinforce  Bragg. — 
Battle  of  Chickamauga. — Grant's  Movements.— Battle  of  Lookout  Mountain. — Order 
ed  to  Knoxville. — General  Burnside. — Siege  of  Knoxville. — Repulse  of  the  Confeder 
ates. — Longstreet  rejoins  Lee. — Battle  of  the  Wilderness. — Wounded. — Sickness. — 
Resumes  Command  at  Petersburg. — Testimony  to  his  Abilities  and  Value. 

A  CALM,  unobtrusive,  self-possessed  man,  yet  determined,  and 
reckless  of  danger :  such  is  the  outer  character  of  him  whose 
public  life  we  now  bring  forward  in  this  sketch.  Said  a  writer 
we  have  often  quoted,  "  Every  one  deplores  that  Longstreet 
will  expose  himself  in  such  a  reckless  manner.  To-day  he  led 
a  Georgian  regiment  in  a  charge  against  a  battery,  hat  in  hand, 
and  in  front  of  everybody." 

Lieutenant-general  Longstreet,  though  long  a  resident  of 
Alabama,  was  born  in  South  Carolina,  about  the  year  1820, 
and  entered  the  military  academy,  at  West  Point,  in  1838. 
He  graduated  in  1842,  and  was  brevetted  second-lieutenant  of 
the  Fourth  regiment  of  infantry.  In  March,  1845,  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Eighth  regiment,  and  was  at  the  storming  of 
Monterey,  in  Mexico.  In  a  vivid  account  of  this  siege,  written 
and  published  in  1847,  by^S.  C.  Reid,  of  Philadelphia,  Long- 
street  is  thus  mentioned  :  "  At  three  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of 
the  22d  September  (1846),  the  troops  that  had  been  detailed  to 
storm  the  fort,  on  Independence  Hill,  were  aroused  from  their 
slumbers.  It  was  dark  and  cloudy,  with  a  heavy,  thick  mist. 
The  command  consisted  of  three  companies  of  the  artillery 
battalion  ;  three  companies  of  the  Eighth  infantry,  under  Cap- 


SOUTHERN    GENEKALS. 

tain  Screven,  commanded  by  Lieutenants  James  Longstreet, 
T.  Montgomery,  and  E.  Holloway  ;  and  seven  companies  of  the 
Texas  Rangers.  ...  As  soon  as  the  height  was  stormed.  .  .  . 
Captain  J.  B.  Scott's  company,  of  the  artillery  battalion,  and 
Company  A,  of  the  Eighth,  under  Lieutenant  Longstreet,  with 
a  detachment  of  the  Texas  Rangers,  were  thrown  forward, 
within  musket  range  of  the  castle,  to  pick  off  such  of  the  enemy 
as  should  give  them  a  chance.  Thirty  minutes  after  this  posi 
tion  was  taken,  their  success  caused  the  enemy  to  make  a  sor 
tie  with  a  large  force,  with  a  view  to  retake  the  hill.  This  at 
tempt  was  opposed  by  our  advanced  party  with  great  spirit, 
and  the  enemy  was  compelled  to  retire.  .  .  The  command  now 
sustained  a  severe  lire  from  the  enemy's  artillery,  and  a  con 
tinued  fire  of  musketry  from  the  loop-holed  walls,  and  parapets 
of  the  palace.  ...  At  length  the  critical  moment  arrived.  .  . 
Onward  came  the  enemy  in  proud  array,  and  most  bravely 
were  they  met,  One  volley  from  the  long  line  of  bayonets 
which  suddenly  arose  before  them,  with  a  deadly  fire  from  the 
Texans,  made  them  reel  and  stagger  back  aghast,  while  above 
the  battle-cry  was  heard  the  hoarse  command  to  '  Charge  ' !  On 
rushed  our  men  with  shouts  of  triumph,  driving  the  retreating 
enem}r,  horse  and  foot,  who  fled  in  confusion  down  the  ridge, 
past  the  palace,  arid  even  to  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  into  the 
streets  of  the  city.  The  victory  was  won ;  the  palace  ours ; 
and  long,  long  did  the  cheers  of  the  victors  swell  on  the  air, 
which  made  the  valley  below  ring  with  the  triumph  of  our 
arms." 

It  is  a  singular  coincidence  that  the  storming  party,  of  which 
Lieutenant  Longstreet  was  a  conspicuous  member,  was  con 
ducted  along  its  "  dark  and  devious  road"  by  Captain  Sanders, 
and  Lieutenant  George  Meade,  of  the  topographical  engineers, 
and  a  Mexican  guide.  Here,  these  two  brave  lieutenants— 
Longstreet  and  Meade — were  fighting  together,  almost  hand  in 
hand— the  one  guiding  the  other,«under  a  proud  united  flag, 
to  storm  a  strong  position : — seventeen  years  afterwards  the 
two  officers  were  battling  against  each  other — Longstreet 
vainly  striving  to  storm  Meade's  position,  on  his  left,  at  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg! 

In  February,  1847,  Longstreet  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
first-lieutenant,  and  from  June  of  that  year  to  July,  1849,  he 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    JAMES    LONGSTREET.  297 

served  as  adjutant  of  his  regiment.  He  was  brevetted  captain 
for  "gallant  arid  meritorious  conduct  "in  the  battles  of  Con- 
treras  and  Cherubusco,  August  20th,  1847,  and  major  for 
"gallantry "  in  the  battle  of  El  Molino  del  Key,  September 
8th,  1847.  In  the  assault  of  Chapnltepec,  September  13th, 
184:7,  he  greatly  distinguished  himself,  and  is  thus  spoken  of 
in  General  Scott's  official  report:  "The  following  are  the 
officers  most  distinguished  in  those  brilliant  operations, —  .  .  . 
Lieutenant  Longstreet,  badly  wounded — advancing,  colors  in 
hand." 

In  December,  1852,  he  became  a  full  captain ;  and,  in  July, 
1858,  lie  was  made  paymaster,  with  the  rank  of  major.  It  was 
in  this  position  that  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  Federal 
service,  when  the  war  broke  out;  and  took  sides  with  his  na 
tive  South.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  the  public  became  ac 
quainted  with  a  name  that  has  since  maintained  its, prestige  for 
lofty  daring  and  chivalrous  courage  throughout  the  war.  But 
not  until  the  first  battles  of  Bull  Run  was  he  conspicuously 
brought  forward.  Appointed  to  command  a  brigade,  he  was 
stationed  at  Blackburn's  ford,  when  General  Tyler,  of  the 
Federal  army,  attempted  to  force  a  passage  across,  on  the  18th 
of  July,  1861.  Longstreet  successfully  resisted  him,  and  com 
pelled  the  Northern  troops  to  fall  back.  Of  his  conduct  on 
this  occasion,  Beauregard,  in  his  official  report,  says :  "  He 
equalled  my  confident  expectations,  and  I  may  fitly  say,  that 
by  his  presence  in  the  right  place,  at  the  right  moment,  among 
his  men — by  the  exhibition  of  characteristic  coolness,  and  by 
his  words  of  encouragement  to  the  men  of  his  command,  he  in 
fused  a  confidence  and  spirit  that  contributed  largely  to  the 
success  of  our  arms  on  that  day." 

During  the  great  battle  that  followed,  on  Sunday,  July  21st, 
his  position  was  still  in  the  same  place,  with  orders  to  move 
"  on  the  enemy's  flank  and  rear  at  Centreville,  taking  due  pre 
caution  against  the  advance  of  reserves  from  Washington." 
This  movement,  however,  was  countermanded  by  Beauregard 
and  Johnston,  at  about  half-past  ten  in  the  morning,  when  it 
was  fully  ascertained  what  General  McDowell's  plans  really 
were.  Instead  of  advancing  on  Centreville,  Longstreet  was 
directed  merely  "  to  make  a  demonstration  to  his  front,  so  as 
to  engross  the  enemy's  reserves  and  forces."  This  was  most 


298  SOUTHERN    GENKRALS. 

effectually  done ;  during  much  of  the  day  his  men  were  ex 
posed  to  an  annoying,  almost  incessant  fire  of  artillery,  at  long 
range;  but,  by  a  steady,  veteran-like  maintenance  of  their 
positions,  they  held  virtually  paralyzed,  all  day,  two  strong 
brigades  of  the  enemy,  with  their  batteries  (four)  of  rifle  guns. 
After  the  rout  of  the  enemy  on  the  main  battle-ground,  Long- 
street's  brigade  was  ordered  to  pursue  in  the  direction  of  Cen- 
treville,  but  at  night  was  directed  to  fall  back  upon  Bull  Run 
again. 

The  author  of  "  Battles  of  the  South"  says  that,  "  on  one 
occasion,  soon  after  this  battle,  his  attention  was  arrested  by 
three  horsemen  galloping  into  camp,  and  saluting  the  colonel 
of  his  regiment.  These  were  none  other  than  Evans,  Long- 
street,  and  Ewell — names  now  forever  hallowed  in  the  hearts 
and  history  of  our  gallant  army.  From  their  style  of  riding 
and  peculiar  seat  in  the  saddle,  I  at  first  took  them  for  dra 
goons,  and  was  not  mistaken.  Evans  was  very  restless,  and 
his  horse  reared  and  chafed,  and  plunged  to  the  right  and  left 
all  the  time  he  staid  with  us.  .  .  .  Longstreet  is  a  powerfully- 
built  man,  somewhat  bald,  about  five  feet  ten  inches  high, 
with  sandy  hair  and  whiskers — the  latter  allowed  to  grow  nn- 
trimmed.  He  possesses  a  fine  blueish  gray  eye,  of  great 
depth,  penetration,  and  calculation  ;  seldom  speaks  unneces 
sarily,  seems  absorbed  in  thought,  and  very  quiet  in  manner. 
....  All  three  were  dressed  as  citizens,  with  heavy  black 
felt  hats  on  ;  and,  except  pistols  in  their  holsters,  were  un 
armed,  and  unattended." 

After  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  Longstreet  was  made  a  Major- 
general  under  General  Johnston,  and  remained  with  the  army 
in  its  quarters  and  skirmishing,  until,  in  March,  1862,  Manas- 
sas  was  evacuated. 

At  length,  the  army  was  moved  to  the  Peninsula,  and  Gen 
eral  Johnston,  with  D.  H.  Hill  and  Longstreet,  joined  their 
forces  to  those  of  Magrnder,  at  Yorktown.  When  this  place 
was  evacuated  by  the  Confederates,  Longstreet  was  intrusted 
with  defending  the  rear  of  the  army,  and  made  every  disposi 
tion  to  entice  the  foe  into  open  ground.  On  the  oth  of  May, 
a  stand  was  made  at  Williamsburg,  and  General  Longstreet 
so  arranged  his  forces,  that  the  enemy  was  met  a  little  on  the 
east  side  of  the  city.  Generals  Heintzelman,  Hooker,  and 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   JAMES    LONGSTREET.  299 

Kearney,  had  approached  by  roads  through  thick  woods,  and 
these  roads  were  made  worse  by  a  heavy  rain,  which  com 
menced  on  Sunday  afternoon,  the  4th,  and  continued  during 
the  next  day.  It  was  a  sore  trial  to  men  and  officers  to  engage 
in  battle  on  such  a  day.  But  it  was  to  be;  and,  at  early  morn, 
the  attack  began.  The  Confederates  were  first  located  in  the 
forest,  beyond  which  was  a  space  about  a  mile  wide,  partly  so 
by  nature,  and  partly  cleared  by  the  felling  of  trees,  these 
being  left  prostrate  on  the  ground,  in  order  to  obstruct  the 
enemy's  advance.  On  the  opposite  side  of  this  cleared  space 
was  Fort  Magruder,  flanked  by  redoubts,  arid  defended  in 
front  by  rifle  pits.  The  day,  as  wre  have  said,  was  stormy  in 
the  extreme,  but  the  fighting  was  severe  and  effectual  on  both 
sides.  Longstreet,  according  to  his  plan,  allowed  his  advance 
to  fall  back  so  that  the  enemy  should  be  enticed  from  the  cov 
ering  of  the  woods.  This  device  proved  successful,  and  boldly, 
and  in  beautiful  order  they  came  forward,  immediately  attack 
ing  the  earthworks  in  front,  but  were  instantly  met  by  a  por 
tion  of  Longstreet's  men,  who  rose  up  in  the  works,  and  poured 
vollies  into  their  faces,  compelling  them  to  fall  back  to  the 
woods,  where,  however,  grapeshot  mowed  them  rapidly  down. 
Still  they  were  not  disheartened.  Again  and  again  did  brig 
ade  after  brigade  of  the  Federals  dash  across  the  open  space 
and  assault  the  works.  At  length,  about  noon,  Longstreet 
made  a  feint  of  retreating,  which  brought  forth  the  enemy 
more  boldly  from  the  woods.  "  Quick  as  thought,  they  were 
attacked  with  great  fury.  Longstreet's  artillery  seemed  to 
have  acquired  new  life.  Galloping  into  the  open  space,  they 
commenced  a  fearful  duel  at  short  range."  The  Federals  were 
again  driven  back,  and  for  a  time  it  seemed  as  though  victory 
had  been  won  by  the  Confederates.  But  now  the  gallant 
Kearney's  brigade  appeared  in  front,  and  Heintzelman,  with 
characteristic  energy,  dashed  up  and  down  the  field,  urging 
the  men  to  advance.  Hooker  also  bravely  holding  his  ground  ; 
and  Hancock,  on  seeing  his  troops  fall  back,  rode  up  and  down 
the  line,  exclaiming,  "  Gentlemen,  charge!'5  And  charge, 
anew,  they  did.  Rushing  onward  with  an  impetuosity  that 
nothing  could  check,  Longstreet's  forces  were  compelled  once 
more  to  give  way,  only,  however,  to  rally  again  and  resist  the 
enemy,  till  night  should  put  an  end  to  the  fearful  struggle. 


300  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

General  McClellan  had  arrived  with  reinforcements,  and  the 
Federals  that  night  bivouacked  on  the  miry  field,  while  the 
Confederates  retired  within  their  works.  •  General  Johnston, 
in  chief  command,  being  more  on  the  advance  towards  Rich 
mond. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  some  to  know  that  in  this  battle, 
sharing  all  the  dangers,  and  even  the  discomforts  of  such  a 
bivouac  on  the  field,  were  the  Prince  de  Joinville,  the  Count 
de  Paris,  and  Due  de  Chartres,  volunteer  aids  to  General 
McClellan. 

At  two  next  morning,  General  Longstreet  commenced  his 
retreat,  all  his  forces  marching  away  quite  undisturbed.  He 
had  to  hurry  on,  that  he  might  overtake  the  main  body  of  the 
army  under  Johnston,  and  came  up  with  the  rearguard  of 
Hood's  Texans,  at  West  Point.  A  few  days  afterwards,  they 
were  all  encamped  around  Richmond. 

In  the  battles  that  followed,  for  the  defence  of  Richmond, 
and  which  have  been  already  described,  General  Longstreet 
bore  an  important  part.  Prior  to  the  last  series  of  seven  days' 
successive  engagements,  on  and  about  the  Chickahominy,  he 
issued  a  proclamation  to  his  soldiers,  couched  in  the  language 
of  a  man  feeling  most  deeply  in  regard  to  the  invasion  of 
Northern  troops.  One  portion  of  it  only,  need  we  transcribe, 
wherein  he  says : 

"  Let  such  thoughts  nerve  you  up  to  the  most  dreadful  shock 
of  battle,  for  were  it  certain  death,  death  would  be  better  than 
the  fate  that  defeat  would  entail  upon  us  all.  But  remember, 
though  the  fiery  noise  of  the  battle  is  indeed  most  terrifying, 
and  seems  to  threaten  universal  ruin,  it  is  not  so  destructive 
as  it  seems,  and  few  soldiers  after  all  are  slain.  This  the  com 
manding  general  desires  particularly  to  impress  upon  the  fresh 
and  unexperienced  troops  who  now  constitute  a  part  of  this 
command.  Let  officers  and  men,  even  under  the  most  formi 
dable  fire,  preserve  a  quiet  demeanor  and  self-possessed  tem 
per.  Keep  cool,  obey  orders,  arid  aim  low.  Remember,  while 
you  are  doing  this,  and  driving  the  enemy  before  you,  your 
comrades  may  be  relied  on  to  support  you  on  either  side,  and 
are  in  turn  relying  upon  you.  Stand  well  to  your  duty,  and 
when  these  clouds  break  away,  as  they  surely  will,  the  bright 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   JAMES    LONGSTREET.  301 

sunlight  of  peace  falling  upon  our  free,  virtuous,  and  happy 
land,  will  be  a  sufficient  reward  for  the  sacrifices  which  we  are 
now  called  upon  to  make. 

"JAMES  LONGSTREET, 

Major-general  commanding." 

Sentiments  like  these  pervaded  the  minds  .of  all  the  Con 
federate  leaders  and  officers,  and,  generally,  those  of  the  men. 
With  such  feelings  they  went  into  battle,  and  with  such  de 
termination  to  conquer,  if  possible,  they  bore  every  hardship, 
privation,  and  loss.  General  Longstreet,  like  many  others, 
had  given  up  much  for  the  cause  of  his  native  South,  and 
never  once  did  he  seem  to  despair  of  ultimate  success.  Always 
ready  to  do  battle  anywhere  when  duty  called,  he  was  much 
esteemed  by  General  Lee,  and  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  hard 
est  fighters  in  the  wrar.  His  soubriquet  of  the  "  War-horse" 
was  given  him,  we  believe,  on  the  occasion  of  the  battles 
around  Richmond. 

The  movements  that  took  place  after  the  events  just  referred 
to,  have  already  been  recorded,  until  General  Longstreet,  on 
the  24th  of  August,  was  dispatched  by  General  Lee  from  War- 
renton  to  reinforce  Jackson,  then  in  the  rear  of  Pope's  army, 
near  the  old  battlefield  of  Bull  Run.  Longstreet  proceeded  by 
way  of  Thoroughfare  gap,  a  pass  in  the  mountains  fifteen 
miles  west  of  Centreville.  This  pass,  which  is  a  wild  and  ro 
mantic  gorge,  with  frowning  fir-clad  battlements  on  either 
side — its  narrow  and  winding  road,  and  its  rugged  walls  rising 
rock  above  rock  to  the  summit,  right  and  left — was  defended 
by  a  force  of  the  enemy  under  General  Ricketts,  who  had  ju 
diciously  posted  some  powerful  batteries  to  take  the  eastern 
debouchement  with  shell  and  canister. 

On  Longstreet  approaching  the  gap  no  enemy  was  at  first 
visible,  but,  as  the  7th  and  8th  Georgia  were  pushing  forward 
in  advance,  the  Federals  suddenly  opened  several  field-pieces, 
and  commenced  to  sweep  the  road.  "  Oh  !  they  are  there,  are 
they  ?"  said  Longstreet,  laughing.  "Well,  we'll  soon  dislodge 
them,  boys,'  and  immediately  ordered  up  several  pieces  of  ar 
tillery,  which,  galloping  forward,  commenced  upon  the  assail 
ing  batteries  so  furiously,  and  with  such  accuracy,  as  to  shelter 
the  advancing  infantry,  and  clear  the  summit  of  the  road. 


302  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

This  was  quickly  accomplished,  but  the  artillery  were  not  con 
tent—they  rushed  up  the  rise  and  began  to  shell  the  foe,  who 
hastily  retreated  into  open  ground  beyond.  Their  infantry, 
then,  finding  themselves  unsupported,  fell  back  in  disorder. 

Longstreet  continued  his  march,  and  next  day  his  persever 
ing  and  exhausted  soldiers  formed  a  junction  with  Jackson's 
forces  on  their  right  wing.  His  arrival  was  hailed  with  loud 
shouts  of  joy,  and  caused  Jackson  to  draw  a  long  breath,  and 
utter  a  sigh  of  great  relief. 

One  incident  connected  with  this  march  of  Longstreet  to 
reinforce  Jackson,  must  be  mentioned.  At  that  time  a  great 
number  of  spies  were  about,  and  caused  a  considerable  excite 
ment  in  the  different  camps.  Now  it  happened  that  while 
Longstreet's  advance  was  on  its  way,  several  brigades  were  ob 
served  to  halt,  thereby  stopping  all  further  progress  of  the 
corps.  Yery  angry  at  this,  Longstreet  trotted  to  the  front^ 
and  was  informed  that  a  courier  had  brought  orders  from 
General  Lee  to  that  effect.  "  From  General  Lee  ?"  said  he, 
his  eyes  glowing  with  rage.  "  Where  is  that  courier  ?"  he 
asked.  "There  he  goes  now,  General,  galloping  down  the 
road,"  was  the  reply.  "Keep  your  eyes  on  him,  overtake 
him,  and  bring  him  here,"  he  immediately  responded.  This 
was  soon  accomplished.  "  By  whose  orders  did  you  halt  my 
brigade?"  asked  the  brigadier  in  command  of  the  advance. 
The  reply  of  the  captured  courier  was,  "  As  I  have  already 
told  you — by  General  Lee's !  I  have  orders  for  Lons-street, 

t/  t/ 

and  must  be  off  to  the  rear  !"  General  Longstreet,  himself, 
then  stepped  forward,  to  the  horror  of  the  spy — for  spy  he  was 
— and  said,  "  Here  is  Longstreet,  where  are  your  orders  !" 
The  poor  wretch  was  caught !  He  turned  red  and  pale,  his  lip 
quivered — he  was  self-condemned.  "  Give  this  man  ten 
minutes,  and  hang  him  !  Let  the  columns  push  forward  im 
mediately  !"  In  fifteen  minutes  the  spy  was  lifeless,  hanging 
from  a  tree  by  the  road-side ;  but  before  death  he  confessed 
that  although  a  Yirginian,  and  a  Confederate  soldier,  he  had 
been  in  communication  with  the  enemy  over  ten  months,  and 
was  then  acting  for  General  Pope. 

Some  fighting  of  a  severe  character  appears  to  have  taken 
place  between  Longstreet's  forces,  as  he  was  going  into  posi 
tion,  about  sunset  on  the  29th,  and  King's  division  of  Me- 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    JAMES    LONGSTREET.  303 

DowelTs  corps,  in  which  the  former  had  been  obliged  to  fall 
back. 

Xext  morning,  August  30th,  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run 
began.  "  Part  of  Longstreet's  corps  was  on  the  move  early  in 
the  morning,  and  seemed  to  be  cautiously  taking  up  positions 
nearer  the  enemy's  left.  Presently  the  general  advance  was 
made,  arid  it  was  a  beautiful  sight,  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
range,  to  see  two  parallel  lines  of  glittering  bayonets  flashing 
in  the  sun.  Then  a  gleam  of  sunlight  told  that  the  rifles  had 
been  brought  to  the  '  ready,'  and  a  moment  after,  a  long  flash 
could  be  observed,  light  curls  of  smoke  arose,  and  the  rattling 

echo  of  volleys  of  fire  was  carried  on  the  wind The 

cannonading  was  terrific,  along1  the  whole  front,  but,  on  the 

O  CD 

right  the  enemy's  and  Longstreet's  artillery  literally  shook  the 
earth.  .  .  .  Fiery  Longstreet,  with  his  impatient  and  gallant 
corps,  rapidly  pushed  forward  the  right  of  the  army,  while 
shot  and  shell  ploughed  the  ground  in  all  directions  around 
him." 

The  battle  was  once  more  won  by  the  Confederates  on  the 
old  ground  of  Bull  Run,  and  the  conspicuous  part  Longstreet 
played  therein  was  honorably  mentioned  in  General  Lee's  offi 
cial  report. 

We  have  not  space  to  follow,  in  detail,  the  next  movements 
that  took  place  in  the  Confederate  army  wherein  Longstreet 
figured.  Enough  to  say  that  a  rapid  march  was  made  into 
Maryland — Harper's  Ferry  taken  with  a  large  booty  and 
many  prisoners — and  the  battles  of  South  Mountain  and 
Antietam  ensued.  Wherever,  in  the  exigency  of  the  moment, 
and  by  order  of  General  Lee,  he  was  called,  here,  there,  and 
everywhere  amidst  the  fray  was  Longstreet  to  be  found,  mov 
ing  with  remarkable  celerity,  and  always  with  a  perfect 
sa-ny  fi'oid.  At  Antietam,  Longstreet  commanded  the  Con 
federate  right,  and  was  thus  opposed  to  Burnside  who  could 
not  advance  against  him  beyond  the  bridge  he  had  so  bravely 
gained.  Night  ended  the  gory  contest,  and  the  weary  troops 
rusted  on  another  battlefield  where  victory  was  again  claimed 
by  both  parties.  The  following  day,  fighting  w^as  not  re- 
nuwed  ;  and,  on  the  next,  September  18th,  at  night,  Longstreet 
accompanied  the  Confederate  army  back  to  Virginia,  camping 
in  the  valley  of  Shenandoah,  about  Winchester  and  vicinity. 


304:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

Longstreet's  corps  was  clustered  at  a  point  ready  to  take 
position  promptly  whenever  required.  Daily  drill  was  in 
cessant  and  severe,  discipline  was  at  its  highest  pitch,  and  re 
views  were  not  unfrequent  among  the  various  brigades  and 
divisions.  At  no  period  of  the  war  were  the  soldiers  more 
confident  and  gay.  Extensive  appropriations  and  purchases 
during  their  brief  sojourn  in  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  had 
replenished  their  stores,  and  the  government  of  the  South  had 
been  so  active  in  the  clothing  department  that  the  army  wras 
quite  comfortable,  and  many  smiled  to  think  how  former 
friends  would  be  agreeably  disappointed  in  seeing  them  so 
transformed. 

Thus  passed  away  the  months  of  September  and  October, 
without  any  active  movement,  the  army  taking  its  rest.  Early 
in  November,  Longstreet's  corps  was  rapidly  marched  to 
Fredericksburg,  arriving  there  before  any  large  body  of  the 
enemy  had  appeared — it  being  known  that  Burnside  had  re 
lieved  McClellan,  and  was  intent  upon  the  Lower  Rappahan- 
nock.  Then  followed,  in  December,  the  great  battle  of 
Fredericksburg — Longstreet's  position  being  on  the  left  of  the 
Confederate  army,  and  having,  under  him,  Ransom,  McLaws, 
Picket,  and  Anderson.  Cobb  was  posted  on  the  rear  right  of 
Longstreet,  and  Hood,  A.  P.  Hill,  Early  and  others  continued 
the  line  towards  Jackson's  corps  on  the  right.  Stuart's  cavalry 
held  the  flanks,  and  D.  H.  Hill  was  in  reserve.  In  this  battle, 
General  Longstreet  was  frequently  with  General  Lee,  occupy 
ing  a  post  on  the  hill  whence  the  enemy's  movements  could  be 
seen.  We  know  the  result.  Burnside  had  to  retire  after  fear 
ful  slaughter;  and  once  more  the  Confederate  army,  for  a  few 
months,  rested  in  peace. 

In  February,  1863,  General  Longstreet,  with  two  divisions 
of  his  corps,  was  detached  for  service,  south  of  the  James 
river.  General  Roger  A.  Pryor  had,  on  the  30th  of  January, 
fought  a  battle  at  a  place  called  the  Deserted  House,  eight 
miles  from  Suffolk,  Southeast  Virginia— General  Michael  Cor 
coran,  of  the  Federal  army,  being  opposed  to  him.  Victory 
was,  as  usual,  claimed  on  both  sides ;  but  preparations  were 
immediately  made  by  the  enemy  to  operate  in  that  quarter 
more  strongly.  General  Peck,  under  the  vigorous  control  of 
Major-General  Dix — then  in  command  at  Fortress  Monroe — 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    JAMES    LONGSTREET.  305 

personally  came  upon  the  field ;  whereupon  Longstreet  was 
gent  to  oppose  him,  and  take  the  chief  direction  of  affairs  in  that 
quarter.  At  this  time  he  was  made  Lieutenant-general.  He 
passed  through  Richmond  with  some  15,000  troops,  about 
February  22d,  and  took  up  his  headquarters  at  Petersburg, 
having  for  his  military  district  South  Virginia,  and  all  between 
him  and  General  Lee.  In  April  he  invested  Suffolk,  and 
stopped  the  navigation  of  the  Nansemond  river  so  as  to  pre 
vent  the  Federals  communicating  with  Norfolk.  On  the  14th 
he  was  within  two  miles  of  Suffolk,  and  firing  commenced  that 
evening.  The  next  day,  General  Peck's  right  was  attacked, 
but  Longstreet's  advance  was  gallantly  met  by  General  Foster's 
light  troops.  The  fighting  continued  on  the  following  days, 
until,  on  Sunday  night,  April  19th,  a  battery  of  five  pieces,  and 
some  prisoners,  were  captured  from  the  Confederates.  On  Mon 
day  the  fighting  was  renewed,  and  then  it  relaxed  for  a  few 
days  ;  afterwards,  on  the  1st  of  May,  commencing  again,  when 
the  enemy  attacked  the  rifle-pits  formed  along  the  banks  of  the 
river.  This  led  to  a  sharp  engagement  during  the  day,  the 
Federals  being  compelled  to  retire  within  their  defences.  But, 
at  this  time,  the  advance  of  General  Hooker  on  Chancellors- 
ville,  called  for  a  concentration  of  all  the  forces  under  Lee,  and 
an  order — intercepted,  however,  by  the  enemy — was  sent  to 
Longstreet,  as  also  one  to  D.  H.  Hill,  in  North  Carolina,  to 
join  the  main  army  in  North  Virginia  without  delay.  Accord 
ingly,  on  the  4th  of  May,  the  siege  of  Suffolk  was  abandoned, 
and  Longstreet,  leaviyg  a  small  force  behind  to  hold  the  fortifi 
cations  on  the  Blackwater,  and  keep  the  enemy  in  check,  pro 
ceeded  to  join  General  Lee.  This  was  done  rapidly  ;  and  a 
short  time  afterwards,  June  3d,  the  great  movement  for  an  in 
vasion  of  Maryland  began.  On  the  8th,  General  Longstreet's 
forces,  with  those  of  Ewell,  arrived  at  Culpepper ;  the  Confed 
erate  army,  under  Lee,  having,  at  this  time,  been  reorganized, 
and  made  to  consist  of  three  large  corps,  commanded  by  Lieu 
tenant-generals  Longstreet,  Ewell,  and  A.  P.  Hill.  Ewell  was 
sent  on  from  Culpepper,  in  advance,  by  the  Shenandoah  Val 
ley,  and  suddenly  came  upon  the  Northern  General  Milroy,  at 
Winchester,  driving  him  out  of  that  place  and  Martinsburg 
with  considerable  loss.  Longstreet  followed  fast  in  Ewell's 
rear,  to  prevent  any  movement  of  the  enemy  upon  it,  and  Hill 

20 


306  .SOUTHERN  GENEEALS. 

came  swift  upon  Longstreet.  On  the  26th  of  June,  Longstreet, 
accompanying  General  Lee,  crossed  the  Potomac  at  Williams- 
port,  and  proceeded  on  to  Hagerstown.  Thence,  next  day,  he 
went  to  Chambersburg ;  and,  on  the  1st  of  July,  the  famous 
battle  of  Gettysburg  began.  For  an  account  of  this  battle  we 
must  refer  to  our  sketch  of  General  Lee,  and  will  merely  ob 
serve  that,  on  the  1st  day,  Longstreet  did  not  reach  the  field 
until  4.30  P.  M.,  too  late  to  join  in  the  fight.  He  therefore  re 
turned  to  his  headquarters,  at  Cashtown,  for  the  night.  Speak 
ing  of  him  at  this  time,  Colonel  Fremantle  says:  "  At  supper 
that  evening,  he  expressed  himself  to  the  effect  that  he  con 
sidered  the  enemy's  position  very  formidable,  and  he  thought 
they  would  intrench  themselves  very  strongly  during  the  night. 
Neither  Longstreet  nor  Lee  intended  the  fight  to  come  off  that 
day.  .  .  Next  morning,  at  seven  o'clock,  I  rode  over  part  of 
the  ground  with  him,  arid  saw  him  disposing  of  McLaws'  di 
vision  for  to-day's  fight.  .  .  .  Ewell  had  the  Confederate  left, 
A.  P.  Hill  the  centre,  and  Longstreet  was  on  the  right.  .  .  At 
4.45  P.  M.  (July  2d),  Longstreet  suddenly  commenced  a  heavy 
cannonading  on  the  right ;  E\vell  took  it  up  on  the  left ;  and 
thus  the  battle  of  the  second  day  was  begun.  At  dark  it 
ceased,  and,  fur  that  night,  Longstreet  bivouacked  on  the  field. 
Next  morning,  at  an  early  hour,  he  was  up,  and  reconnoiter- 
ing.  By  noon  all  his  dispositions  were  made;  his  troops  for 
attack  were  deployed  into  line,  and  lying  down  in  the  woods ; 
and  his  batteries  were  ready  to  open.  He  then  dismounted 
from  his  horse,  and  went  to  rest  for  a  short  time."  Probably 
for  an  hour  he  thus  slept,  for  at  2  p.  M.  he  was  at  his  post, 
while  the  roar  of  battle  sounded  in  his  ear,  and  shells  carried 
destruction  around  him.  Seated  on  the  top  of  a  fence,  at  the 
edge  of  the  wood,  and  looking  perfectly  calm,  he  was  accosted 
by  Colonel  Fremantle,  who  said  to  him,  in  reference  to  the 
grand  yet  fearful  scene  before  them,  "  I  wouldn't  have  missed 
this  for  anything!"  Longstreet  replied,  laughing,  "The  devil 
you  wouldn't !  I  would  like  to  have  missed  it  very  much ; 
we've  attacked  and  been  repulsed:  look  there!"  The  Con 
federates  were  slowly  and  sulkily  returning  towards  his  posi 
tion  in  small  broken  parties,  under  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery. 
u  I  could  now,"  says  Fremantle,  "  thoroughly  appreciate  the 
term  bull-dog,  which  I  had  heard  applied  to  him  by  his 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   JAMES    LONGSTREET.  307 

soldiers.  Difficulties  seemed  to  make  no  other  impression 
upon  him  than  to  make  him  a  little  more  savage."  lie  im 
mediately  set  about  making  the  best  arrangements  in  his  power 
to  resist  the  Federal  advance,  by  pushing  forward  some  artil 
lery,  rallying  stragglers,  etc.  One  of  his  generals  came  up  to 
him,  and  reported  that  he  was  unable  to  bring  his  men  np 
again,  Longstreet  turned  upon  him  and  replied,  "  Yery  well, 
never  mind,  then.  General ;  just  let  them  remain  where  they 
are  ;  the  enemy's  going  to  advance,  and  will  spare  you  the 
trouble."  Many  of  his  wounded  soldiers  hearing  a  report  that 
he  was  killed,  anxiously  inquired  after  him,  and  expressed  very 
great  pleasure  on  learning  the  safety  of  their  chief. 

"  On  the  next  day,"  says  Colonel  Fremantle,  "  a  flag  of  truce 
came  over  from  the  enemy,  and  its  bearer  announced,  among 
other  things,  '  that  General  Longstreet  was  wounded,  and  a 
prisoner,  but  would  be  taken  care  of.'  General  Longstreet 
sent  word  back  that  he  was  extremely  grateful,  but,  being 
neither  wounded  nor  a  prisoner,  he  was  quite  able  to  take  care 
of  himself."  The  same  writer  observes:  "The  iron  endurance 
of  General  Longstreet  is  most  extraordinary  ;  he  seems  to  re 
quire  neither  food  nor  sleep.  Most  of  his  staff  now  fall  fast 
asleep  directly  they  get  off  their  horses,  they  are  so  exhausted 
from  the  last  three  days'  work." 

Longstreet,  in  talking  of  the  battle,  said  :  "  The  mistake  they 
had  made  was  in  not  concentrating  the  army  more,  and  mak 
ing  the  attack  on  the  3d  with  30,000  men  instead  of  15,000." 
That  night,  amid  torrents  of  rain,  the  Confederate  army  re 
treated  to  the  Potomac,  and  thence  into  the  Shenandoah 
Valley  again. 

On  the  way  to  the  Potomac,  Longstreet's  bivouac  for  the 
night  was  near  a  large  tavern,  and  he  had  sent  to  order  some 
supper  there  for  himself  and  staff;  but  when  he  went  in  to 
devour  it,  General  McLaws  and  his  officers  were  found  rapidly 
finishing  the  whole,  apparently  in  ignorance  who  it  was  for, 
and  too  hungry  to  inquire.  More,  however,  was  soon  procured, 
and  the  General  sat  down  to  a  good  meal.  During  supper, 
some  women  of  the  house  came  rushing  in,  exclaiming,  u  Oh, 
good  heavens,  they're  killing  our  fat  hogs.  Which  is  the 
General  ?  Which  is  the  great  officer  ?  Our  milch  cows  are 
now  going."  Longstreet  at  once  replied  to  them,  shaking  his 


308  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

head  in  a  melancholy  manner,  "Yes,  madam,  it's  very  sad- 
very  sad,  and  this  sort  of  thing  has  been  going  on  in  Virginia 
more  than  two  years — very  sad  !" 

That  night  he,  with  his  officers  and  men,  slept  on  the  open 
ground  beneath  a  heavy,  pouring  rain,  yet  so  wearied  as  to 
be  almost  unconscious  of  their  uncomfortable  position. 

Next  day  there  was  a  laughable  spectacle  in  the  afternoon. 
A  negro  dressed  in  the  full  uniform  of  a  Northern  soldier,  with 
a  rifle  at  full  cock,  was  seen  leading,  along  a  barefooted  white 
man,  with  whom  he  had  evidently  changed  clothes.  General 
Longstreet  stopped  the  pair,  and  asked  the  black  man  what  it 
meant.  He  replied,  "  The  two  soldiers  in  charge  of  this 
here  Yank  have  got  drunk,  so  for  fear  he  should  escape  I 
have  took  care  of  him,  and  brought  him  through  that  little 
town." 

For  the  next  two  months  nothing,  except  a  splendid  review 
of  the  whole  army,  occurred,  of  importance,  connected  with 
General  Longstreet ;  but,  in  the  beginning  of  September,  it 
was  found  necessary  to  send  reinforcements  to  Bragg's  army 
in  Tennessee  and  North  Georgia,  and  he  was  detached  from 
Lee  to  proceed  thither.  General  Burnside  had  been  appointed 
by  the  North  in  command  of  East  Tennessee,  and  Cumberland 
Gap  was  surrendered  to  him  on  the  9th  of  September,  by  a 
Confederate  force  stationed  there.  On  the  same  day,  Chatta 
nooga  was  occupied  by  Rosecrans,  and  Bragg's  army  fell  back 
to  Chickamauga.  Thus  it  was  important  that  Longstreet 
should  bring  his  reinforcements  into  the  field  as  speedily  as 
possible,  for  the  Confederates  in  that  quarter  were  pressed 
sorely,  and  unanimity  did  not  seem  to  pervade  all  their 
councils.  Accordingly  he  pushed  forward,  by  the  way  of 
Richmond  and  through  Georgia,  his  advance  arriving  at  the 
scene  of  operations  just  prior  to  the  battle  of  the  19th  of 
September. 

The  part  Longstreet  bore  in  this  battle,  which  ended  in  the 
defeat  of  the  Federals,  after  an  heroic  resistance  under  the 
gallant  Thomas,  is  known  to  have  contributed  much  to  the 
fortunes  of  the  day,  and  he  strongly  urged  that  advantage 
should  be  immediately  taken  by  a  forward  movement  of  the 
whole  army.  But  General  Bragg  deemed  it  advisable  not  to 
do  so,  much  to  the  mortification  of  all  his  officers  and  troops. 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   JAMES    LONGSTREET.  309 

The  following  particulars  derived  from  the  Richmond  En- 
quiver  of  October  31st,  will  serve  better  to  explain  what 
occurred  : 

"  When  Longstreet  took  command  of  the  left  wing  of  the 
army  on  Sunday  morning,  the  20th,  he  found  it  lielter  skelter, 
with  gaps  a  mile  long  between  the  brigades,  and  everything 
in  confusion  generally.  The  position  chosen  for  the  fight  by 
General  Bragg  was  most  unfavorable  in  case  of  a  repulse,  and 
altogether  in  favor  of  the  enemy.  The  order  wras  for  the  right 
to  begin  the  attack  at  dawn,  but  it  was  eleven  o'clock  before 
it  opened,  and  then  it  rolled  along  until  the  left  took  it  up.  In 
a  very  short  time,  to  use  General  Bragg's  own  words,  "  the 
right  was  disastrously  repulsed,  and  had  no  fight  in  it,"  and 
Longstreet  had  to  meet  the  enemy  entirely  alone.  After  some 
hours  of  hard  fighting  he  drove  him,  in  the  wildest  confusion, 
from  every  position,  took  from  thirty  to  forty  pieces  of  artil 
lery,  thousands  of  prisoners,  and  converted  their  army  into  a 
terrified,  flying  mob.  It  was  then  that  he  saw  that  by  a  for 
ward  movement  of  the  whole  army  Rosecrans'  whole  force 
could  be  captured  in  twenty  hours,  and  that  no  obstacle  was 
between  us  arid  the  Ohio,  and  perhaps  peace.  He  therefore 
sent  word  to  Wheeler,  who  was  on  his  left,  to  dash  forward 
between  Chattanooga  and  the  enemy,  and  cut  him  to  pieces ; 
but  just  as  Wheeler  wras  about  to  execute  this  movement  he 
received  an  order  from  General  Bragg  directing  him  to  pick 
up  arms  and  stragglers.  Longstreet  had  not  heard  from  Bragg 
but  once  during  the  day,  and  then  it  was  to  say  that  he  was 
beaten  on  the  right.  He  now  sent  to  beg  him  to  advance, 
but  the  general-in-chief  declined  doing  so." 

On  the  19th  of  October,  General  Grant  arrived  at  Chatta 
nooga  and  relieved  General  Eosecrans.  The  Confederates,  at 
this  time,  occupied  the  south  side  of  the  Tennessee  river, 
above  Chattanooga  to  near  Bridgeport  below,  and  taking  in 
the  valley,  Missionary  ridge,  and  Lookout  mountain.  General 
Grant  quickly  determined  to  drive  them  from  these  positions, 
by  uniting  his  forces,  and,  on  the  26th,  commenced  operations 
by  a  series  of  excellent  movements  under  Hooker,  with  the 
personal  superintendence  of  General  "  Baldy"  Smith,  of  the 
Engineer  corps. 

During  Monday  night  the  enemy  crossed  the  Tennessee  in 


310  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

rear  of  Chattanooga,  passed  over  the  narrow  peak  known  as 
the  Moccasin,  again  crossed  the  river,  and  intrenched  them 
selves  on  the  heights  which  align  its  margin.  The  movement 
was  designed  to  pave  the  way  for  the  advance  of  a  column 
from  Bridgeport,  up  the  valley  towards  and,  if  necessary,  into 
Chattanooga.  The  latter  must  have  commenced  nearly  simul 
taneously  with  the  one  first  mentioned,  for  on  the  night  of 
Tuesday  our  commanders  learned  of  its  approach  in  this 
direction. 

During  Wednesday  morning,  the  head  of  the  column  was 
espied  in  the  distance  from  Lookout  Peak,  and  by  dusk  it  had 
effected  a  junction  with  the  forces  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Brown's  Ferry.  Subsequent  developments  showed  that  the 
Eleventh  and  Twelfth  corps  of  Meade's  army — the  former 
under  command  of  Howard,  and  the  latter  under  command  of 
Slocum,  and  the  whole  under  Joe  Hooker — had  taken  this 
method  of  reaching  the  Union  army  of  Tennessee. 

"  On  Lookout  peak,"  says  a  writer,  vividly  describing  the 
affair,  "  gazing  down  upon  the  singular  spectacle — a  coup 
(TceU,  which  embraced,  in  curious  contrasts,  the  beauties  of 
nature  and  the  achievments  of  art,  the  blessings  of  peace  and 
the  horrors  of  war — were  Generals  Bragg,  Longstreet,  and 
others,  to  whom  this  bold  venture  of  the  enemy  opened  at  once 
new  vistas  of  thought  and  action.  Infantry,  artillery,  and 
cavalry,  all  glided  silently  by,  like  a  procession  of  fantoccini  in 
a  panorama,  until  among  all  the  sundown's  sumptuous  pic 
tures,  which  glowed  around,  there  was  not  one  like  that  of  the 
great,  fresh,  bustling  camp,  suddenly  grown  into  view,  with 
its  thousand  twinkling  lights,  its  groups  of  men  and  animals, 
and  its  lines  of  white-topped  wagons  now  strung,  like  a  neck 
lace  of  pearls,  around  the  bosom  of  the  hills.  The  Federals 
had  succeeded  in  effecting  a  junction  with  their  army  of 
Chattanooga." 

An  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  Confederates,  to  check  this 
movement,  it  is  said,  would  have  been  impracticable,  without 
bringing  on  a  general  engagement,  since  an  interposition  of 
their  forces  across  the  valley  would  have  necessitated  a  fight  on 
both  front  and  rear,  and  on  both  sides  the  enemy  had  the  ad 
vantage  of  fianks  protected.  The  first  corps  having  passed, 
and  a  portion  of  it  gone  into  camp,  there  was  still  visible  be- 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    JAMES    LONGSTREET.  311 

low  a  considerable  number  of  wagons,  guarded,  apparently, 
by  an  escort  of  from  fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  men. 
Hoping  to  capture  these,  General  Longstreet  determined,  dur 
ing  the  night,  to  make  an  attack,  and  accordingly  ordered  Gen- 

O  O  O    •> 

era!  Jenkins,  commanding  Hood's  division,  to  take  position  for 
the  purpose. 

"  The  enemy  occupied  a  line  of  hills  parallel  with  the  river  in. 
the  neighborhood  of  Brown's  Ferry  ;  Law  and  Robertson  the 
same  line  of  hills,  but  nearer  to  Lookout  Mountain,  to  prevent 
an  attack  on  Bratton's  rear,  and  Benning  a  position  on  the  left 
of  the  two  last  named,  being  intended  as  a  support  to  Colonel 
Bratton.  These  three  brigades,  as  it  were,  covered  the  bridges 
across  Lookout  creek,  over  which  they  had  marched,  and 
threatened  the  line  of  the  enemy  at  Brown's  Ferry.  Colonel 
Bratton,  with  Jenkins'  brigade,  now  moved  over  to  the  left  a 
mile  or  more  up  the  valley,  to  attack  the  supposed  rear-guard, 
and  capture  the  wagon-train. 

"Skirmishers  being  thrown  out,  the  Federal  pickets  were  soon 
encountered.  These  falling  back,  the  enemy  were  found  in  line 
of  battle,  and,  instead  of  being  surprised,  received  our  troops 
with  a  heavy  volley.  It  was  not  long  before  it  was  discovered, 
that  instead  of  a  paltry  body  of  men,  who  would  yield  as  soon 
as  discovered,  we  were  fighting  a  whole  division,  belonging  to 
the  Twelfth  corps,  General  Slocum,  who  had  closely  followed 
in  the  rear  of  the  preceding  column,  and  encamped  after  night. 
Nothing  was  to  be  done  but  to  fight  it  boldly  out,  and  make  up 
in  pluck  and  obstinacy  what  was  lacking  in  numbers.  On  our 
part  we  had  but  six  regiments — the  First,  Colonel  Kilpatrick  ; 
Second  Rifles,  Colonel  Thompson  ;  Fifth,  Colonel  Coward  ; 
Sixth,  Colonel  Bratton  ;  Palmetto  Sharpshooters,  Colonel 
Walker,  and  Hamptom  Legion,  Colonel  Gary.  Steadily  as  on 
a  parade,  these  filed  into  position,  and  in  a  few  moments  artil 
lery  and  musketry  were  playing  with  terrible  effect  through 
our  ranks. 

"  The  enemy  in  the  neighborhood  of  Brown's  Ferry  discover 
ing  a  battle  in  progress,  had  already  thrown  forward  two  col 
umns,  one  of  which  advanced  to  attack  the  line  occupied  by 
Generals  Law  and  Robertson,  while  the  other  moved  steadily 
past  that  front,  and  aimed  to  penetrate  the  long  interval  be 
tween  Bratton  and  Benning  ;  in  other  words,  to  cut  Jenkins' 


312  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

brigade  off  from  the  bridges  over  Lookout  creek.  The  first 
column  met  with  little  success,  being  checked  by  the  sharp  fire 
of  the  Alabamians  and  Texans ;  but  the  second  promised  other 
results.  The  situation  was  a  critical  one  ;  but  General  Jenkins, 
quickly  divining  the  object  of  the  movement,  met  the  issue  by 
ordering  Bratton  to  return  to  the  bridges,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  division  to  hold  its  position  at  every  hazard,  until  the 
safety  of  the  former  was  assured.  Lieutenant-colonel  Logan, 
of  the  Hampton  Legion,  with  fourteen  companies  whom  he 
had  relieved  from  picket,  having  reached  the  field,  was  or 
dered  to  the  left  of  Benning,  where,  occupying  a  hill,  he  ex 
tended  our  line,  and  naturally  contributed  to  the  check  of  the 
enemy. 

"Although  we  had  not  achieved  a  victory,  we  had,  judging 
by  results,  been  blessed  with  a  providential  success.  The  Fed 
erals  encountered  by  Jenkins'  brigade,  were  undoubtedly  on 
the  eve  of  a  disastrous  defeat,  as  is  shown  by  the  facts  already 
set  forth,  namely,  the  breaking  of  the  lines,  and  falling  back  in 
front,  and  on  the  right  and  left  flanks,  until  wagon-trains  and 
prisoners  were  captured  in  the  rear.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
pressure  of  the  Yankee  columns  from  Brown's  Ferry,  where  it 
was  known  there  were,  at  least,  two  corps,  not  distant  more 
than  a  mile  and  a  half,  so  threatened  the  integrity  of  our  po 
sition,  that  it  eventually  became  critical  in  the  extreme. 
Probably  from  seven  to  ten  thousand  troops  enveloped  the  line 
designed  to  protect  Bratton  from  an  attack  upon  his  rear,  and 
in  a  few  moments  they  would  have  intersected  the  only  road 
by  which  he  could  return. 

"  Being  unable  to  counteract  a  movement  on  so  grand  a  scale, 
with  the  small  force  at  his  command,  General  Jenkins  did  the 
next  best  thing,  which  was  to  recall  Colonel  Bratton,  and  to 
compel  him,  at  the  moment  of  success,  to  abandon  all  the 
fruits  of  his  struggle,  which  had  been  so  gloriously  wrested 
from  the  enemy.  Instead  of  censure,  therefore,  praise  belongs 
to  every  officer  and  man  concerned  in  the  expedition.  On  the 
part  of  General  Longstreet,  the  design  was  just  like  himself — 
bold,  daring,  dashing  ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  circum 
stances  mentioned,  it  would  have  resulted  in  complete  suc 
cess." 

In  the  beginning  of  November,  Longstreet  was   dispatched 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   JAMES    LONGSTREET.  313 

by  Bragg  up  the  valley  towards  Knoxville,  where  Burnside 
was  operating.  Longstreet,  however,  was  very  ill  provided 
for  his  troops,  and  had  to  subsist  them  as  best  he  could.  "  At 
Lenoir  station,  he  began  by  capturing  a  train  of  eighty-five 
wagons,  many  of  them  loaded  with  valuable  medical  stores. 
At  Bean  station,  he  captured  thirty  wagons,  a  quantity  of 
forage,  and  some  horses ;  and  in  the  Clinch  valley  forty  other 
wagons,  laden  with  sugar  and  coffee."  Several  guns  and  a 
number  of  prisoners  were  also  captured ;  and  at  London,  he 
had  encountered  General  Burnside,  compelling  him  to  fall 
back  to  Knoxville,  which  Longstreet  immediately  besieged. 
This  was  on  the  17th  and  18th  of  November;  and  a  constant 
fire  was  thenceforth  maintained,  until  the  evening  of  the  28th, 
when  it  was  determined  to  make  an  assault  upon  one  of  the 
forts  commanding  the  approaches  to  the  town.  This  fort  was 
on  a  hill  near  the  Kingston  road,  and  was  called  Fort  Sanders. 
It  was  a  very  strong  work,  and  in  front  of  it  were  felled  trees, 
with  the  tops  turning  in  all  directions,  and  making  an  almost 
impassable  mass  of  brush  and  timber.  A  space  around  the 
fort  was  cleared,  and  the  ditch  in  front  was  about  ten  feet 
deep,  with  the  parapet  nearly  twenty  feet  high. 

At  daylight  of  November  29,  the  assaulting  column  moved 
up  the  slope,  and  was  met  by  a  heavy  artillery  fire,  which 
fearfully  mowed  down  the  advancing  soldiers.  Still  onward 
they  pushed,  struggling  through  the  network  of  fallen  timber 
and  other  devices  laid  down  to  impede  them.  But,  the  intri 
cate  passage  by  which  they  had  to  mount,  was  too  difficult  for 
them  easily  to  master.  The  foremost  parties  stumbled  and 
fell  over  each  other  in  confusion,  at  the  same  time  the  enemy's 
fire  poured  fiercer  and  fiercer  on  their  heads.  The  embrasures 
of  the  fort,  and  the  whole  line  of  the  parapet  blazed  forth  at 
once.  Nevertheless,  this  did  not  effectually  stop  the  advance. 
Pushing  on  over  every  obstacle,  they  soon  reached  within 
pistol-shot  of  the  fort ;  then,  suddenly,  the  enemy's  guns 
launched  forth  from  every  quarter,  and  the  Confederate  line 
was  shattered.  Some,  however,  managed  to  spring  into  the 
ditch,  and  clamber  up  the  glacis,  planting  their  flag  almost 
side  by  side  with  the  Federal  colors.  The  Confederate  officers 
boldly  kept  the  lead,  in  front,  to  the  very  fort  itself,  but  as 
each  head  appeared  above  the  parapet,  a  spatter  of  blood  and 


314:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

brains  marked  where  the  heroic  assailants  had  met  their  doom. 
A  Confederate  captain  succeeded  in  reaching  one  of  the  em 
brasures,  and,  "  pushing  his  body  through  till  he  actually  faced 
the  very  muzzle  of  the  cannon,  demanded  the  surrender  of  the 
garrison.  The  answer  to  him  was  the  discharge  of  the  piece, 
when,  rent  limb  from  limb,  his  mangled  corse,  or  what  was 
left  of  it,  was  hurled  outward  into  the  air."  The  brave  men, 
thus  at  the  very  walls,  seeing  themselves  now  alone,  surren 
dered  and  were  hauled  into  the  fort;  but  not  until  the  trench 
was  filled  with  the  dead  and  dying.  The  assault,  therefore, 
had  failed,  and  the  Confederates  retired. 

At  this  time,  Burnside's  forces  within  Knoxville  were  suffer 
ing  much  from  short  rations,  and  provisions  were  so  scarce 
that  only  half  allowance  of  bread  could  be  issued.  What  the 
result  might  have  been  we  cannot  say  ;  but  General  Sherman, 
who  had  been  advancing  from  Chattanooga  to  Burnside"s  re 
lief,  arrived  on  the  night  of  December  3d,  and  thus  compelled 
Longstreet  to  raise  the  siege.  He  retreated  at  once  towards 
Rutledge,  up  the  valley,  pursued  next  day  by  Burnside's  (until 
relieved  by  Foster)  and  Sherman's  forces  combined.  Long- 
street,  however,  still  fell  back  without  battle,  until  he  had 
reached  Bear  station,  on  the  Cumberland  Gap  road,  where, 
being  hard  pressed,  he  turned  and  attacked  the  enemy's  ad 
vance,  driving  him  back  to  Russellville.  This  was  on  Decem 
ber  13th,  and  next  day,  Longstreet  firmly  established  himself 
for  awhile,  with  his  headquarters  at  Rodgersville,  where  he 
could  carry  on  such  operations,  on  either  side,  as  circumstances 
might  require.  He  had  hoped  to  find  his  railroad  communi 
cations  with  Virginia  open,  but,  about  this  time,  General 
Averill,  of  the  Federal  army,  cut  them  off  by  destroying  the 
track  at  Salem,  Southwest  Virginia.  This  compelled  Long- 
street  to  fall  back  upon  his  own  resources;  and,  by  the  ad 
mirable  arrangements  he  made,  he  succeeded  in  making  his 
army  self-subsisting  in  a  tract  of  country  where  it  was  thought 
impossible  for  him  to  remain  without  external  aid. 

At  the  end  of  December,  1803,  he  was  around  Eutledge  and 
Morristown,  but  unable  to  follow  up  advantages,  in  conse 
quence  of  the  large  number  of  barefooted  men  in  his  com 
mand,  at  a  time,  too,  when  the  weather  was  bitterly  cold,  and 
the  mountains  covered  with  snow.  This,  however,  was  reme- 


LIETJTENANT-GENEKAL    JAMES    LONGSTKEET.  315 

died  soon  afterwards  by  a  supply  of  shoes  and  blankets  sent  to 
his  army  in  the  early  part  January,  while  he  was  in  winter- 
quarters  at  Morristown  ;  his  cavalry,  meanwhile,  daily  skirm 
ishing  with  the  enemy.  Still,  for  both  armies,  the  rigors  of 
the  season,  in  that  mountain  region,  must  have  been  very 
severe ;  and,  we  can  hardly  conceive  what  the  soldiers  must 
have  endured. 

At  this  time,  the  following  interesting  correspondence  passed 
between  General  Longstreet  and  Foster.  We  insert  it,  as  in 
dicative  of  the  character  of  him  whose  life  we  briefly  sketch  : 


LETTER  FROM  GENERAL  LONGSTREET  TO  GENERAL  FOSTER. 

HEADQUARTERS,  CONFEDERATE  FORCES,  ) 
EAST  TENNESSEE,  Jan.  3,  1864.     ) 
To  THE  COMMANDING  GENERAL,  UNITED  STATES  FORCES,  EAST  TENNESSEE 

Sm — I  find  the  proclamation  of  President  Lincoln,  of  the 
8th  of  December  last,  in  circulation  in  handbills  among  our 
soldiers.  The  immediate  object  of  this  circulation  seems  to  be 
to  induce  our  soldiers  to  quit  our  ranks  and  take  the  oath  of 
allegiance  to  the  United  States  government.  1  presume,  how 
ever,  that  the  great  object  and  end  in  view  is  to  hasten  the  day 
of  peace.  I  respectfully  suggest,  for  your  consideration,  the 
propriety  of  communicating  any  views  that  your  government 
may  have  upon  this  subject  through  me,  rather  than  by  hand 
bills  circulated  amongst  our  soldiers. 

The  few  men  who  may  desert  under  the  promise  held  out  in 
the  proclamation,  cannot  be  men  of  character  or  standing.  If 
they  desert  their  cause,  they  disgrace  themselves  in  the  eyes  of 
God  and  of  man.  They  can  do  your  cause  no  good,  nor  can 
they  injure  ours. 

As  a  great  nation,  you  can  accept  none  but  an  honorable 
peace.  As  a  noble  people,  you  could  have  us  accept  nothing 
less. 

I  submit,  therefore,  whether  the  mode  that  I  suggest  would 
not  be  more  likely  to  lead  to  an  honorable  end  than  such  a  cir 
culation  of  a  partial  promise  of  pardon. 

I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

J.  LONGSTREET, 
Lieutenant-general  commanding. 


316  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 


GENERAL  FOSTER'S  REPLY. 

HEADQUARTERS,  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  OHIO, 

KNOXVILLE,  EAST  TENN.,  Jan.  7,  1864. 
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  COMMANDING  CONFEDERATE  FORCES  IN  EAST  TENN.  : 

SIR — I  Lave  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  jour 
letter,  dated  January  3,  1864. 

You  are  correct  in  the  supposition  that  the  great  object  in 
view  in  the  circulation  of  the  President's  proclamation  is  to 
induce  those  now  in  rebellion  against  the  government  to  lay 
aside  their  amis  and  return  to  their  allegiance  as  citizens  of 
the  United  States,  thus  securing  the  reunion  of  States  now 
arrayed  in  hostility  against  one  another,  and  the  restoration  of 
peace. 

The  immediate  effect  of  the  circulation  may  be  to  cause 
many  men  to  leave  your  ranks  to  return  home,  or  come  within 
our  lines,  and,  in  view  of  this  latter  course,  it  has  been  thought 
proper  to  issue  an  order  announcing  the  favorable  terms  on 
which  deserters  will  be  received. 

I  accept,  however,  your  suggestion  that  it  would  have  been 
more  courteous  to  have  sent  these  documents  to  you  for  circu 
lation,  and  I  embrace,  with  pleasure,  the  opportunity  thus 
afforded  to  enclose  you  twenty  (20)  copies  of  each  of  these 
documents,  and  rely  upon  your  generosity  and  desire  for  peace 
to  give  publicity  to  the  same  among  your  officers  and  men. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  General,  very  respectfully,  your  obe 
dient  servant, 

J.  G.  FOSTER, 
Major-general  Commanding. 


HEADQUARTERS,  DEPARTMENT  EAST  TENNESSEE,  ) 

Jan.  11,  1864.      J 

SIR — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
letter  of  the  7th  of  January,  with  its  inclosures,  etc. 

The  disingenuous  manner  in  which  you  have  misconstrued 
my  letter  of  the  3d,  has  disappointed  me.  The  suggestion  you 
claim  to  have  adopted,  was  in  words,  as  follows : 

"I  presume,  however,  that  the  great  object  and  end  in  view 
was  to  hasten  the  day  of  peace.  I  respectfully  suggest,  for 
your  consideration,  the  propriety  of  communicating  any  views 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    JAMES    LOXGSTREET.  317 

that  your  government  may  have  on  this  subject  through  me, 
rather  than  by  hand-bills  circulated  among  our  soldiers." 

This  sentence  repudiates,  in  its  own  terms,  the  construction 
which  you  have  forced  upon  it.  Let  me  remind  you,  too,  that 
the  spirit  and  tone  of  my  letter  were  to  meet  honorable  senti 
ments. 

The  absolute  want  of  pretext  for  your  construction  of  the 
letter,  induces  me  to  admonish  you  against  trifling  over  the 
events  of  this  great  war.  You  cannot  pretend  to  have  an 
swered  my  letter  in  the  spirit  of  frankness  due  to  a  soldier, 
and  yet  it  is  hard  to  believe  that  an  officer  commanding  an 
army  of  veteran  soldiers,  on  whose  shoulders  rest,  in  no  small 
part,  the  destiny  of  empires,  could  so  far  forget  the  height  of 
this  great  argument  at  arms,  and  so  betray  the  dignity  of  his 
high  station,  as  to  fall  into  a  contest  of  jests  and  jibes. 

I  have  read  your  order  announcing  the  favorable  terms  on 
which  deserters  will  be  received.  Step  by  step  you  have  gone 
on  in  violation  of  the  laws  of  honorable  warfare.  Our  farms 
have  been  destroyed,  our  women  and  children  have  been 
robbed,  and  our  houses  have  been  pillaged  and  burnt.  You 
have  laid  your  plans  and  worked  diligently  to  produce  whole 
sale  murder  by  servile  insurrection.  And  now,  the  most  igno 
ble  of  all,  you  propose  to  degrade  the  human  race  by  inducing 
soldiers  to  dishonor  and  forswear  themselves. 

Soldiers  who  have  met  your  own  on  so  many  honorable 
fields,  who  have  breasted  the  storm  of  battle  in  defence  of 
their  honor,  their  families,  and  their  homes,  for  three  long 
years,  have  a  right  to  expect  more  of  honor,  even  in  their 
adversaries. 

I  beg  leave  to  return  the  copies  of  the  proclamation,  and 
your  order. 

I  have  the  honor  to  renew  to  you  the  assurance  of  great 

respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  LONGSTREET, 
Lieutenant-general  Commanding. 
Major-general  J.  G.  FOSTEK,  Commanding  Department  Ohio. 

Towards  the  end  of  January,  1864,  Longstreet  received 
large  reinforcements,  and  early  in  February  the  lines  of  com 
munication  with  Virginia  were  repaired.  In  March,  sundry 
movements  indicated  a  falling  back  up  the  valley,  but,  in  real- 


318  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

ity,  these  were  only  to  cover  the  real  object,  which  was  to  unite 
again  with  General  Lee,  in  Virginia.  This  was  done  by  April ; 
and  once  more  the  hardy  soldiers,  under  Longstreet,  were  on 
the  old  ground  about  Gordon sville.  Here  they  rested  a  while, 
until,  on  the  4th  of  May,  they  were  ordered  forward  to  the 
battlefield  of  the  Wilderness. 

We  have  given  particulars  of  these  events  in  our  sketch  of 
Lee,  and  need  only  refer  to  Longstseet's  share  in  them. 

On  the  3d  of  May  he  was  in  position,  thirteen  miles  south 
west  of  the  Rapidan.  On  the  4th  he  took  up  marching  orders  ; 
and  on  the  night  of  the  5th,  halted  within  twelve  miles  of  the 
field  of  battle  of  that  day.  At  midnight  he  was  informed  of 
the  danger  of  Hill's  corps,  and  immediately  broke  up  his 
bivouac,  commencing  his  march  about  two  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  6th.  Directly  his  troops  arrived  on  the  battle 
field,  General  Longstreet  rushed  forward,  with  his  staff,  to  head 
the  advance.  Their  faces  glowing,  the  horses  prancing,  the 
cavalcade  surrounding  the  Lieutenant-general  hud,  however, 
not  passed  more  than  a  hundred  yards  in  advance  of  the 
column,  when  their  mood  was  sobered  into  profound  regret. 
One  of  the  brigades  of  the  flanking  force,  heated  with  the 
work  of  destruction  that  they  had  executed  so  splendidly,  mis 
took  the  glad  group  of  horsemen  that  came  prancing  along  the 
plank-road,  for  a  party  of  the  flying  foe.  It  poured  into  them, 
at  short  range,  a  deadly  fire  !  General  Jenkins  fell  instantly 
from  his  horse,  with  a  bullet  in  his  brain.  Longstreet  received  a 
ball  that  entered  his  throat,  and  passed  out  through  his  right 
shoulder.  Bleeding  like  an  ox,  he  was  helped  from  his  horse, 
so  prostrated,  that  fears  were  entertained  of  his  immediate 
death.  Major  Walton,  a  gallant  Mississippian,  on  his  staff, 
threw  open  his  vest  and  shirt-collar,  and  found  great  relief  in 
discovering  that  he  was  mistaken  in  supposing  that  the.  ball 
had  cut  the  carotid  artery. 

Placed  on  a  litter,  the  wounded  general  was  removed  from 
the  field  ;  but,  feeble  though  he  was,  from  the  loss  of  blood, 
he  did  not  fail  to  lift  his  hat,  from  time  to  time,  as  he  passed 
down  the  column,  in  acknowledgment  of  its  cheers  of  applause 
and  sympathy. 

General  Longstreet  was  taken  to  his  family,  at  Lynchburg, 
where  he  gradually  recovered.  On  the  18th  of  May  he  wrote 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    JAMES    LONGSTREET.  319 

to  Judge  Longstreet,  that  his  wound  was  severe,  but  not  dan 
gerous.  "It  is,"  said  he,  "through  the  neck  and  shoulder; 
but  I  am  improving."  His  corps,  now  under  command  of 
General  R.  II.  Anderson,  shared  in  all  the  after  battles  at 
Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor,  and  Petersburg,  where  it  arrived 
on  the  17th  of  June. 

It  was,  however,  nearly  six  months  before  Longstreet  could 
report  for  duty.  After  staying  a  while  at  Lynchburg,  he  was 
removed  further  South,  for  the  benefit  of  his  health,  and  re 
turned  in  October,  sufficiently  recovered  to  take  up  his  com 
mand  again.  He  then  issued  the  following  general  order: 

HEADQUARTERS,  FIRST  ARMY  CORPS,  Oct.  19,  18G4. 

The  undersigned,  with  deep  arid  grateful  emotions,  resumes 
command  of  his  army  corps. 

Although  separated  from  it  since  the  first  action  of  the  past 
eventful  campaign,  the  history  of  your  share  in  that  cam 
paign  is  not  unknown  to  him. 

He  has  marked  with  pride  and  pleasure  the  success  which 
has  attended  your  heroic  efforts  under  the  accomplished  com 
mander  who  has  so  worthily  led  you. 

Soldiers,  let  us  not  go  backward.  Let  the  First  corps  be 
always  true  to  itself.  We  have  in  the  past  a  brilliant,  an  un 
surpassed  record.  Let  our  future  eclipse  it  in  our  eagerness 
for  glory,  our  love  of  country,  and  our  determination  to  beat 
the  enemy. 

J.  LONGSTREET,  Lieutenant-general. 

From  that  date,  though  many  reports  were  spread  abroad  of 
his  being  appointed  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  there  is  nothing 
important  of  his  movements  to  relate,  apart  from  what  belongs 
to  the  army,  as  already  mentioned  in  our  sketch  of  General 
Lee.  The  following,  concerning  him,  however,  may  be  inter 
esting. 

The  Richmond  correspondent  of  the  London  Times  writes  : 
"  I  am  happy  to  report  that  General  Longstreet  is  at  present 
quite  free  from  the  nervous  sensibility  in  his  right  arm,  from 
which  for  some  time  he  suffered.  The  nerves  of  motion  are 
still  entirely  paralyzed,  and  the  arm  is  almost  useless  ;  but  he 
is  able  slightly  to  move  the  fingers,  and  it  is  the  opinion  of 


320  SOUTHERN    GENEKALS. 

army  surgeons,  that  he  will  regain  plenary  use  of  it  in  from 
eighteen  months  to  two  years,  when  the  nervous  tissue  shall 
have  time  to  repair  itself.  His  general  health  and  spirits  are 
excellent,  and  his  confidence  in  the  ability  of  his  soldiers  to 
hold  the  Confederate  line,  and  keep  the  enemy  out  of  Richmond 
for  an  unlimited  period,  is  unabated.  It  is  a  strong  testimony 
to  General  Longstreet's  value  as  a  soldier,  that  each  of  the 
three  great  captains  of  Secessia — Lee,  Beauregard,  and  Johns 
ton — esteem  him  equally,  and  desires  his  presence  by  his  side. 
Upon  the  18th  instant,  Beauregard  telegraphed  from  Jackson 
ville,  in  Alabama,  soliciting  Longstreet's  company  in  the  West, 
but  it  was  determined  that  he  could  not  be  spared  from  his 
old  army  corps  before  Richmond." 


GENERAL  BRAXTON  BRAGG. 


His  Birth  and  Early  Services.— The  Mexican  War.— The  Battle  of  Buena  Vista.— 
An  Attempt  to  Assassinate  him. — Engaged  on  the  Utah  Expedition.— Settles  in  Lou 
isiana. — Joins  the  Confederate  Service. — Appointed  Brigadier-general. — Commands  at 
Pensacola. — Lieutenant  Slemmer. — Commander  Worden. — Bragg's  Position. — Fort 
Pickens  and  Colonel  Brown. — Colonel  Wilson  and  his  Zouaves. — General  R.  H.  An 
derson.— Surprise  on  Santa  Rosa  Island. — Bombardment  of  Pensacola. — Bragg  Pro 
moted. — Joins  A.  S.  Johnson. — Battle  of  Shiloh. — General  Gladden. — Bragg  made  a 
full  General. — His  Movement  into  Kentucky. — Munfordsville. — Arrival  at  Frankfort. 
— Battle  of  Perryville. — Retreat  from  Kentucky — Visits  Richmond. — Returns  to  the 
Army. — Battle  of  Murfreesboro.— Generals  Breckinridge  and  Hanson.— Retreat  to 
Tullahoma. — Battle  of  Chickamauga. — Battles  of  Missionary  Ridge  and  Chattanooga. 
— Retreat  of  Bragg. — Relieved  of  Command. — New  Appointment  as  Military  Adviser. 
— In  Command  at  Wilmington.— Conclusion. 

FEW  generals  in  America  are  more  widely  known  in  connec 
tion  with  popular  criticism  upon  their  public  life,  than  the 
subject  of  this  sketch.  "  A  little  more  grape,  Captain  Bragg," 
is  a  saying  that  has  beconle  so  hackneyed,  from  its  repeated  use 
in  the  mouths  of  all  who  refer  to  him,  that  we  would  fain 
omit  it,  but  for  the  necessity  of  introducing  a  matter  in  his 
history  that  has  been  the  subject  of  much  comment.  In  our 
remarks,  which  must  necessarily  be  very  brief,  we  shall  try  to 
do  justice  to  one  who  appears  to  have  many  strong  and  not 
always  friendly  opponents.  Yet,  whatever  be  the  cause  of 
this,  it  is  certain  that  he  has  seen  arid  done  good  service  as  a 
brave  soldier  in  former  times ;  nor  should  his  military  worth 
in  the  present  be  at  all  lessened.  Let  us,  then,  try  to  place 
him  before  our  readers,  void  of  all  party  feeling,  and  strictly 
as  we  find  things  honestly  recorded. 

Braxton  Bragg  was  born  in  Warren  county,  North  Carolina, 
in  the  year  1815,  and  is  a  brother  of  Senator  Bragg,  late  a 
member  of  President  Davis'  cabinet.  He  entered  West  Point 
as  a  cadet  in  1833,  and  graduated  on  the  30th  of  June,  1837, 
receiving  an  appointment  as  Second-lieutenant  of  the  Third 
Artillery.  He  was  afterwards  commissioned  as  Captain,  and 

21 


322  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

was  actively  engaged  throughout  the  Seminole  war  in  Florida, 
and  in  duty  along  the  coast.  In  1S3S  he  was  at  camp  "Mis 
sionary  Hill,"  two  miles  from  Chattanooga,  while  General 
Scott  was  engaged  in  removing  the  Cherokees  to  the  West. 
In  the  fall  of  that  year  lie  went  to  Fort  Cummins,  where  he 
was  for  some  time  in  command. 

In  the  Mexican  war,  Captain  Brajrg  was  under  General 
Taylor,  and  accompanied  him  to  Corpus  Christi.  lie  was  at 
the  battle  of  Palo  Alto,  and  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  and,  for  his 
vigorous  defence  of  Fort  Brown,  opposite  Matamoras,  on  the 
9th  of  May,  18-16,  he  was  warmly  commended  to  President 
Polk.  At  Monterey,  Captain  Bragg  highly  distinguished 
himself,  as  the  following  extracts  from  an  account  of  the 
Mexican  war  will  show.  The  writer  says:  "  Captain  Bragg's 
battery  of  light  artillery  having  been  sent  for,  the  gallant 
captain  came  down  the  road  at  full  gallop,  exposed  for  nearly 
halt'  a  mile  to  the  fire  of  the  heavy  guns  of  the  citadel,  and 
soon  brought  his  battery  into  action  in  one  of  the  narrow  lanes 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  directing  his  fire  towards  the  bar 
ricades,  and  then  proceeded  to  Captain  Garland's  assistance.  . 
.  .  .  Finally,  he  had  to  withdraw  his  battery  from  the  narrow 
position  he  occupied  in  the  lane,  and  in  doing  so  he  had  to 
nnlimber  the  gun  carriages  and  reverse  them.  Four  of  his 
horses  were  killed,  and  seven  wounded.  These  had  to  be  re 
placed;  and,  in  retiring,  he  was  again  exposed  to  the  same 
deadly  cross-fire.  In  this  movement  he  lost  two  men  killed 
and  four  wounded." 

For  his  conduct  in  this  engagement  at  Monterey,  he  was 
highly  complimented  by  his  superior  officers.  At  Bnena 
Yista  he  was  likewise  very  conspicuous  for  his  bravery,  and  it 
is  reported  of  him  that,  in  the  final  charge,  when  there  was 
imminent  danger  of  a  defeat,  he  headed  a  gallant  few,  and 
succeded  in  hurling  back  the  enemy  at  a  most  critical  moment. 
It  was  during  the  hottest  part  of  this  engagement  that  General 
Taylor  rode  up  to  Captain  Bragg's  battery,  and;  as  is  currently 
reported,  used  the  words  we  have  already  quoted  :  "A  little 
more  grape,  Captain  Bragg."  The  correctness  of  this  has  been, 
however,  denied  in  a  letter  published  more  than  five  years 
ago,  and  which  may  be  found  in  the  New  York  Herald  of 
August  7th,  1859.  However,  that  is  immaterial  to  our  present 


GENERAL  BEAXTON  BRAGG.  323 

purpose.  Captain  Bragg  undoubtedly  bore  himself  most 
bravely  throughout  the  war,  and  for  his  gallant  conduct  he 
was  brevetted  Lieutenant-colonel. 

"  After  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,"  says  a  Southern  paper, 
"two  attempts  were  made  to  assassinate  him."  Of  one  of 
these  he  himself  gives  an  account  in  a  letter  dated  August 
20th,  1S47,  from  which  the  following  is  an  extract: 

An  attempt  was  made,  about  2  A.  M.,  night  before  last,  to 
assassinate  me  in  my  bed.  I  have  no  clue  to  the  perpetrator, 
and  can  suggest  no  reason  for  the  act.  My  escape  without 
injury  is  almost  miraculous.  As  exaggerated  accounts  may 
reach  the  press,  the  truth  may  interest  you.  A  twelve-pound 
shell,  heavily  charged,  was  placed  within  two  feet  of  my  bed, 
just  outside  of  my  tent,  and  exploded  by  a  slow  match  ;  the 
fragments  literally  riddling  my  tent  and  bedding,  pieces  pass 
ing  above  and  below  me,  some  through  a  blanket  spread  over 
me,  and  yet  I  was  untouched.  I  was  not  aware  that  I  had  an 
enemy  in  the  world,  and  at  times  feel  disposed  to  believe  now 
that  it  may  have  been  intended  as  a  practical  joke  by  some 
fool  ignorant  of  the  effect  of  shells  thus  exploded.  Be  that  as 
it  may,  my  escape  was  almost  miraculous,  'and  I  prefer  not  re 
peating  the  joke." 

After  the  Mexican  war,  Lieutenant-colonel  Bragg  accom 
panied  Colonel  Albert  Sidney  Johnson  on  his  expedition  to 
Utah.  On  the  3d  of  January,  1856,  he  resigned  his  commis 
sion,  leaving  the  United  States  military  service,  and  devoted 
himself  to  a  plantation  he  had  in  Louisiana.  As  appears  by 
a  letter  made  public  at  the  time,  he  was  a  candidate  for  some 
local  office  in  that  State ;  but  we  hear  little  of  him  until 
the  present  war  opened.  He  was  then  made  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  forces  of  Louisiana,  by  the  legislature  of  that 
State ;  but,  shortly  afterwards,  President  Davis  appointed 
him  a  brigadier-general  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  placed 
him  in  command  of  the  forces  at  Pensacola,  the  Congress 
at  Montgomery  confirming  the  same  in  the  early  part  of 
March,  1861. 

General  Bragg  immediately  went  to  his  post,  and  fixed  his 
headquarters  at  the  Marine  Hospital.  He  then  issued  a  proc 
lamation,  forbidding  all  parties  from  furnishing  supplies  to 
the  Federal  war  ships  off  Peusacola,  and  restricting  communi- 


32-i  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

cation  of  any  kind  between  the  people  in  the  village  and  the 
vessels  outside.  The  effect  of  this  was  severely  felt  by  the 
crews  afloat,  for  we  find,  from  a  letter  dated  March  18th,  that 
"  all  the  ships  were  out  of  provisions,  and,  only  for  the  energy 
and  enterprise  of  Captain  Adams,  of  the  Sabine,  they  would 
have  been  obliged  to  leave  Florida  altogether.  The  steamers 
could  get  no  wood  nor  water,  and  a  smuggler  from  Pensacola 
was  actually  selling  water  at  four  cents  per  gallon." 

At  this  especial  time,  it  must  be  remembered  that  open  war 
had  not  broken  out  between  the  North  and  South  ;  but  the 
state  of  things  at  Pensacola  was  similar  to  that  which  Charles 
ton  presented,  though  the  latter,  as  a  great  city,  had  the  higher 
importance,  and  is  more  publicly  known.  At  Pensacola,  the 
fine  bay,  and  the  splendid  navy  yard,  forming  the  principal 
depot  of  the  Gulf  fleet,  alone  made  the  place  of  any  note. 
The  village  itself  was,  otherwise,  comparatively  insignificant, 
but,  in  consequence  of  its  nautical  advantages,  a  small  military 
force  under  Lieutenant  Slemmer  was,  in  the  beginning  of 
1861,  stationed  there  in  charge  of  the  forts.  These  forts  were, 
Fort  McRae,  on  the  main  land,  with  a  lagoon  behind  it,  and 
guarding  one  side  of  the  harbor;  Fort  Barancas,  directly  fa 
cing  the  entrance  of  the  harbor,  and  Fort  Pickens  on  the  other, 
or  east  side  of  the  harbor  entrance.  This  latter  was  on  the  ex 
tremity  of  the  long,  low,  sandy  Santa  Rosa  Island,  which 
stretched  away  to  the  eastward,  and  formed  an  excellent 
breakwater  to  the  bay.  The  Navy  Yard  was  about  a  mile 
inside  the  bay,  beyond  Fort  Barancas,  and  was  thus  in  an 
admirably  safe  position. 

Now,  when  Florida  and  Alabama  seceded,  State  troops  were 
immediately  sent  to  secure  these  places.  This  was  early  in 
January,  1861.  Forts  Barancas  and  McRae,  with  the  navy 
yard,  were  at  once  surrendered  by  the  naval  commandant; 
but  Lieutenant  Slemrners,  not  approving  such  a  course,  secretly 
crossed  over  to  Fort  Pickens,  as  Major  Anderson  did  from 
Moultrie  to  Sumter,  and  there  heroically  stationed  himself  and 
brave  followers,  to  maintain  the  honor  of  his  flag,  until  directed 
by  his  government  what  to  do.  In  this,  no  honest-minded 
Southerner  could  justly  blame  him,  but  on  the  contrary,  he 
should  award  the  praise  such  conduct  so  well  deserved.  His 
position,  however,  was  extrmely  critical,  and  the  Federal  Gov- 


GENERAL  BRAXTON  BRAGG.  325 

ernment  determined  to  relieve  him  by  sending  reinforcements, 
in  a  steam  transport ;  and  the  sloop-of-war  Brooklyn  was  also 
dispatched  for  the  purpose  of  affording  protection. 

Meanwhile,  a  secret  agent,  Lieutenant,  now,  Commander 
Worden — well  known  as  connected  with  his  gallant  little 
Monitor — bravely  ventured  to  take  dispatches  to  the  garrison, 
announcing  this  reinforcement  and  supplies ;  but  in  the  at 
tempt  he  was  caught,  and  imprisoned. 

We  have  no  space,  however,  to  relate  the  many  interesting 
incidents  that  followed,  and  must,  therefore,  hurriedly  pass 
them  over,  confining  ourselves  merely  to  the  doings  of  him 
whose  life  we  briefly  sketch.  But,  the  preceding  information 
will  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  position  of  affairs  when 
General  Bragg  took  command. 

General  Bragg  was  well  known  to  be  a  strict  disciplinarian, 
and  a  very  determined  man.  Certainly  his  position  was  very 
peculiar,  and  to  maintain  it  required  great  nerve  and  energy, 
with  a  powerful  and  clear  mind.  The  fearful  burst  of  war  had 
not  yet  been  heard,  and  it  was  hardly  possible  to  foresee  what 
a  day  might  bring  forth.  At  length  the  news  of  Burater  fallen, 
settled  all  doubts  ;  and  blood  was  thenceforth  to  stream  through 
the  length  and  breath  of  the  land.  Bragg's  measures  now  be 
came  even  more  vigorous.  Contraband  information  to  the 
enemy,  of  any  kind,  was  immediately  punished.  Newspaper 
correspondents  were  forbidden  to  promulgate  news  without 
permission  ;  and  one  was  sent  to  Montgomery  under  arrest  for 
infringing  the  order.  Postmaster  Lamberton  was  also  im 
prisoned  for  the  same  thing.  Preparations  were  commenced 
for  attacking  Fort  Pickens — now  reinforced,  and  Lieutenant 
Slemmer  relieved  of  his  command  by  Colonel  Harvey  Brown  ; 
but  General  Bragg  wras  officially  notified  by  Colonel  Brown, 
through  Lieutenant  Slemmer,  that  he  should  act  simply  on  the 
defensive.  Permission  was  asked  by  the  Federals  to  send  a 
messenger  to  Washington  ;  but  this  was  refused. 

In  the  month  of  April  the  garrison  of  Fort  Pickens  was  re 
inforced,  and  now  numbered  over  one  thousand  men  ;  and 
thus,  through  the  early  part  of  the  summer,  both  parties  re 
mained  looking  at  each  other,  but  also  strengthening  their  po 
sition.  On  June  24th,  Fort  Pickens  was  additionally  rein 
forced  by  the  arrival  of  Colonel  William  Wilson's  Zouaves ; 


326  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

and  these  established  themselves  three  quarters  of  a  mile  east 
of  the  fort,  to  guard  against  Bragg's  threatened  landing  on  that 
part  of  Santa  Rosa  Island. 

July,  August,  and  September  passed,  arid,  excepting  a  few 
minor  occurrences,  nothing  of  importance  took  place.  At  length, 
on  the  8th  of  October,  General  Bragg  sent  a  secret  expedition  by 
night,  to  break  up  Wilson's  encampment.  The  force  consisted 
of  several  companies  of  men,  selected  from  regiments,  for  this 
special  service,  and  were  taken  across  in  two  steamers,  a  barge, 
and  live  or  six  launches,  all  under  the  command  of  General  R. 
H.  Anderson,  of  South  Carolina,  lately  appointed  under  Bragg. 
Thev  landed  on  the  eastern  part  of  the  island — the  night  was 
very  dark,  and  the  enemy  apparently  wrapped  in  total  security. 
Suddenly  a  wild  cry  of  alarm  from  the  outlying  pickets  is  heard 
by  the  startled  Federal  Zouaves.  Up  from  their  couches  they 
spring,  in  the  garments  of  sleep,  and  rush  out  in  amazement. 
Firing  is  heard,  and  before  they  can  prepare  for  the  attack,  on 
come  a  host  of  foes,  crushing  in  among  them,  slaying  right 
and  left ! 

It  was  a  terrible  sight — an  awful  moment!  For  the  instant 
appalled,  the  surprized  Federals  are  powerless ;  but  their  nat 
ural  courage  is  soon  recovered,  and  with  the  mad  ferocity 
of  entrapped  men,  they  enter  into  the  fight !  The  Confede 
rates,  however,  are  in  a  greater  number  than  themselves,  and 
drive  them  back  to  the  very  fort  itself  with  fearful  slaughter. 
Now,  however,  the  tide  of  blood  turns.  The  Federal  com 
mandant  of  Fort  Pickens  comes  upon  the  scene  ;  and  the  Con 
federates,  having  accomplished  their  main  object,  retreat  to 
their  boats,  pursued  by  the  enemy.  Finally,  General  Ander 
son's  command  return  to  the  main  land,  with  some  loss,  and  he 
himself,  wounded.  Thus  ended  General  Bragg's  night-surprise 
of  the  Federals  on  Santa  Rosa  Island. 

A  few  weeks  after  this,  in  November,  the  bombardment  of 
Pensacola  was  opened  by  the  Federal  fleet,  and  at  night-time 
the  scene  was  truly  magnificent.  This  lasted,  however,  with 
variations,  through  the  winter,  but  we  can  not  here  give  space 
to  its  description. 

Bragg  was  now  made  a  Major-general,  and  as  symptoms  of 
serious  Federal  operations  had  shown  themselves  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi,  he  was  often  at  Mobile  to  watch  what  was 


GENERAL  BRAXTON  BRAGG.  327 

going  on,  and  to  see  to  its  defences.  In  the  latter  part  of  De 
cember  he  was  thus  away,  when  a  little,  unarmed  propeller, 
employed  between  the  Confederate  forts  and  the  village  of 
Pensacola,  was  fired  into  from  Fort  Pickens,  which  led  to  a 
renewal  of  fire  between  the  opposite  parties  holding  possession 
at  Barancas,  and  Santa  Rosa.  A  spectator  says  :  "  Through 
almost  the  entire  night  our  guns  kept  up,  at  regular  intervals, 
their  fire.  The  scene  was  grand  beyond  conception — the  shells, 
in  their  screeching  and  screaming  journey,  resembling  startled 
meteors  coursing  the  heavens.  About  twelve  o'clock  several 
buildings  in  Warrington  were  fired,  and  flames,  lighting  up  the 
yard,  and  the  village,  arid  forts,  and  batteries,  presenting  a 
scene  grand  as  the  bombardment  which  perpetuates  the  name 
of  Anderson,  and  the  birth-day  of  the  new  year.  We  have 
suffered  no  loss  of  life  or  limb,  nor  sustained  any  injury  in  guns. 
There  is  little  likelihood  of  any  more  firing — no  injury  can  be 
inflicted  on  the  enemy,  nor  can  he  harm  us." 

In  the  beginning  of  February,  1862,  General  Bragg  estab 
lished  his  headquarters  at  Mobile  ;  and  shortly  afterwards 
was  sent,  with  his  Second  division,  to  join  the  army  of  the 
Mississippi,  then  under  command  of  General  A.  S.  Johnson, 
with  General  Beauregard  as  commander-iii-chief  of  the  depart 
ment. 

General  Bragg's  headquarters  were  now  at  Jackson,  Ten- 
nessee  ;  and  on  March  5th,  1S62,  he  issued  a  stringent  order 
with  regard  to  all  persons  travelling  without  authority,  and  de 
tailing  a  guard  of  one  commissioned  officer,  and  five  men,  to 
accompany  eacli  passenger  train  on  the  Memphis  and  Charles 
ton,  and  Mobile  and  Ohio  railroads.  He  also  prohibited  the 
sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  within  five  miles  of  any  station  oc 
cupied  by  the  troops,  or  within  one  mile  of  any  public  high 
way  used  as  a  military  road.  Martial  law  was,  likewise,  pro 
claimed  at  Memphis  ;  and  all  prisoners  were  to  be  sent  to 
Mobile,  whence  a  proper  guard  from  that  place  was  to  transfer 
them  to  Tuscaloosa,  Alabama.  On  the  6th  of  April  occurred 
the  battle  of  Shiloh,  and  here  General  Bragg  commanded  the 
centre  of  the  army.  In  his  official  report,  he  says  :  "But  few 
regiments  of  my  command  had  ever  had  a  day's  march,  and 
a  very  large  proportion  of  the  rank  and  file  had  never  per 
formed  a  day's  labor.  Our  organization  had  been  most  hasty, 


328  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

with  great  deficiency  in  commanders,  and  was,  therefore,  very 
imperfect.  The  equipment  was  lamentably  defective  for  field- 
service,  and  our  transportation,  hastily  impressed  in  the  country, 
was  deficient  in  quantity,  and  very  inferior  in  quality.  "With 
all  these  drawbacks,  the  troops  marched,  late  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  3d  of  April — a  day  later  than  intended — in  high 
spirits,  and  eager  for  the  contest.  .  .  .  About  2  A.  M.,  of  the 
5th,  a  drenching  rain  storm  commenced,  to  which  the  troops 
were  exposed,  without  tents,  and  continued  until'  daylight, 
rendering  it  so  dark,  and  filling  the  creeks  and  ravines  to  such 
an  extent,  as  to  make  it  impracticable  to  move  at  night.  .  .  . 
It  was  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  before  the  road  was  clear, 
so  as  to  put  my  command  in  motion.  .  .  .  At  this  juncture, 
the  commanding  general  arrived  at  our  position.  My  column 
moved  on  without  delay,  and,  as  promptly  as  could  be,  they 
were  formed  according  to  order  of  battle/' 

General  Bragg  then  gives  details  of  the  battle  in  that  por 
tion  of  it  under  his  command,  speaking  of  Major-general  Polk 
as  his  "  senior,"  and,  therefore,  resigning  to  him  authority  in 
certain  parts  of  the  field,  and  concludes  by  mentioning  the 
names  of  those  who  had  specially  distinguished  themselves. 
He  adds,  "Brigadier-general  A.  H.  Gladden  fell  early  in  the 
action,  mortally  wounded,  whilst  gallantly  leading  his  men  in 
a  successful  charge.  ~No  better  soldier  lived — no  truer  man  or 
nobler  patriot  ever  shed  his  blood  in  a  just  cause."  His  report 
embraces  a  few  remarks  on  the  results  of  the  battle,  and  the 
causes  which  produced  a  state  of  things  different  from  what 
might  have  been  expected.  "  But,"  says  he,  "  no  one  cause, 
probably,  contributed  so  greatly  to  our  loss  of  time,  which  was 
the  loss  of  success,  as  the  fall  of  the  commanding  general,  A. 
S.  Johnson." 

The  army  fell  back  to  Corinth,  and  about  that  time  Bragg 
was  made  a  full  general,  dating  from  April  6th,  1862.  When 
it  was  expected  another  engagement  would  take  place,  he 
issued,  on  the  5th  of  May,  a  stirring  address  to  his  soldiers, 
and  in  allusion  to  the  enemy  said,  "  such  a  foe  ought  never  to 
conquer  freemen,  battling  upon  their  own  soil."  The  evacua 
tion  of  Corinth,  however,  and  subsequent  events,  as  already 
related,  led  to  a  change  in  the  direction  of  affairs  over  the 
army,  and  General  Bragg  was  appointed  commander  of  the 


GENERAL  BRAXTON  BRAGG.  329 

department  instead  of  Beauregard,  who  had  been  obliged  to 
resign  from  ill-health. 

Immediately  afterwards,  General  Bragg  began  his  move 
ment  from  Tupelo,  in  Mississippi,  through  the  states  of  Geor 
gia,  and  Alabama,  to  Chattanooga,  with  a  view  to  active 
operations  in  East  Tennessee,  and  Kentucky.  The  Confederate 
army  was  now  divided  into  three  corps,  respectively  com 
manded  by  Major-generals  Polk,  Hardee,  and  Kirby  Smith  ; 
the  latter  being  at  Knoxville,  ready  to  push  forward  when 
Bragg  should  reach  Chattanooga.  General  Bragg's  forces, 
however,  having  arrived  in  that  vicinity  and  finding  Bra  ell's 
army  to  the  north  of  it,  passed  on  a  few  miles  higher  up  the 
Tennessee,  and  crossed  at  Harrison,  on  the  21st  of  August. 
Thence.  Bragg  proceeded  by  mountain  roads  to  Lhinlap — thus 
completely  flanking  General  Buell  on  his  left.  From  LHinlap 
he  marched  up  the  Sequatehie  valley,  and  reached  Pi'kcville 
on  the  30th.  From  that  place,  Bragg  sent  a  part  of  his  forces 
to  McMinnville,  a  place  seventy-five  miles  southeast  of  ISTash- 
ville,  to  attack  some  Federal  cavalry  thrown  forward  in  ad 
vance,  and  meanwhile  he  proceeded  on  towards  Crossville, 
having  ascended  the  Grassy  Cave  road.  Here  the  force  that 
had  been  sent  to  McMinville  rejoined  the  main  army.  On  the 
5th  of  September,  General  Bragg  entered  Kentucky,  and 
inarched  to  the  right  of  Bowling  Green,  sending  an  advance  on 
to  Munfordsville  to  demand  its  surrender.  Munfordsville  is  a 
large  town  on  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  railroad,  and 
Bragg  was  now  between  it  and  Buell's  army  at  Bowling 
Green.  The  Federal  commander,  however,  succeeded  in  get 
ting  ahead  of  the  Confederates  in  the  principal  object  they  had 
in  view.  This,  through  some  captured  dispatches,  was  ascer 
tained  to  be  Louisville  in  Kentucky,,  and,  as  Buell's  army  re 
ceived  its  supplies  from  there,  depots  being  formed  at  Bowling 
Green  and  Nashville,  that  general  wisely  did  all  in  his  power 
to  guard  the  line  of  communication  thither  by  rail.  Mun 
fordsville  at  first  resisted,  but,  on  the  17th  of  September,  it 
was  captured  by  General  Bragg's  forces,  and  next  day  he  is 
sued  an  address  to  the  people  of  Kentucky,  in  which  he  tells 
them  that  he  has  not  come  to  injure,  but  to  avenge  them,  and 
aid  them  in  obtaining  freedom.  He  invites  them  to  join  him 
in  the  struggle.  "Ifr"  says  he,  "you  prefer  Federal  rule, 


330  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

show  it  by  your  frowns,  and  we  shall  return  whence  we  came. 
If  you  choose  rather  to  come  within  the  folds  of  our  brother 
hood,  then  lend  your  willing  hands  to  secure  you  in  your  her 
itage  of  liberty." 

The  Confederate  force  now  moved  to  Bardstown,*  and  fur 
ther  towards  the  centre  of  the  State,  in  many  places,  through 
out  the  whole  march,  receiving  kindly  support.  Detachments 
were  sent  out  to  scour  the  country,  and  \vatch  the  Federals, 
some  of  these  detachments  coming  to  within  four  miles  of 
Louisville  and  creating  great  alarm.  Bragg,  however,  pro 
ceeded  on  to  Frankfort,  the  State  capital,  and  joined  Kirby 
Smith's  forces,  on  the  4th  of  October,  General  Buell  arriving 
at  Bardstown — evacuated  by  the  Confederates — on  the  same 
day.  At  Frankfort,  a  Confederate  provisional  governor  was 
elected  on  the  day  of  Bragg's  arrival,  but  even  before  the  cere 
mony  had  well  ended,  intelligence  of  the  enemy's  approach 
induced  the  newly  appointed  governor  to  fly.  The  Federals, 
however,  were  not  then  intent  so  much  upon  Frankfort  as 
upon  the  army  of  Bragg,  the  rear  of  which  was  at  Perry  ville, 
a  few  miles  south  of  Frankfort.  General  Buell  had  been  con 
stantly  pressing  the  Confederate  rear,  and  had  now  advanced 
his  three  corps  towards  Perryville  with  the  hope  of  surround 
ing  Bragg's  forces  there.  But,  General  Crittenden's  corps  of 
the  Federal  army  was  somewhat  delayed  on  a  circuitous  route, 
and  the  other  two  corps  of  McCook  and  Gilbert,  first  came  up 
with  the  Confederates. 

The  battle  which  followed  is  best  told  in  General  Bragg's 
official  report.  lie  says : 

HEADQUARTERS,  DEPARTMENT  No.  2, 
BRYANTSVILLE,  KY.,  October  12. 

SIR  : — Finding  the  enemy  pressing  heavily  in  his  rear,  near 
Perryville,  Major-general  Hardee,  of  Folk's  command,  was 
obliged  to  halt  and  check  him  at  that  point.  Having  arrived 
at  Harrodsburg  from  Frankfort,  I  determined  to  give  him  bat 
tle  there,  and  accordingly  concentrated  three  divisions  of  my 
old  command — the  army  of  the  Mississippi,  now  under  com- 

*  At  this  place,  on  September  26th,  General  Bragg  issued  another  address 
"  To  the  People  of  the  Northwest,"  but  it  is  of  too  great  a  length  even  to  give 
a  fair  abstract. 


GENERAL  BKAXTON  BHAGG.  331 

maud  of  Major-general  Polk — Cheatham's,  Buckner's,  and 
Anderson's,  and  directed  General  Polk  to  take  the  command 
on  the  7th,  and  attack  the  enemy  the  next  morning.  Withers' 
division  had  gone  the  day  before  to  support  Smith.  Hearing, 
on  the  night  of  the  7th,  that  the  force  in  front  of  Smith  had 
rapidly  retreated,  I  moved  early  next  morning,  to  be  present 
at  the  operations  of  Polk's  command. 

The  two  armies  were  formed  confronting  each  other,  on  op 
posite  sides  of  the  town  of  Perryville.  After  consulting  the 
general  and  reconnoitering  the  ground  and  examining  his  dis 
positions,  I  declined  to  assume  the  command,  but  suggested 
some  change  and  modifications  of  his  arrangements,  which  he 
promptly  adopted.  The  action  opened  at  half-past  12  p.  M., 
between  the  skirmishers  and  artillery  on  both  sides.  Finding 
the  enemy  indisposed  to  advance  upon  us,  and  knowing  he  was 
receiving  heavy  reinforcements,  I  deemed  it  best  to  assail  him 
vigorously,  and  so  directed.  % 

The  engagement  became  general  soon  thereafter,  and  was 
continued  furiously  from  that  time  to  dark,  our  troops  never 
faltering  and  never  failing  in  their  efforts. 

O  o 

For  the  time  engaged  it  was  the  severest  and  most  desper 
ately  contested  engagement  within  my  knowledge.  Fearfully 
outnumbered,  our  troops  did  not  hesitate  to  engage  at  any 
odds,  and,  though  checked  at  times,  they  eventually  carried 
every  position,  and  drove  the  enemy  about  two  miles.  But  for 
the  intervention  of  night,  we  should  have  completed  the  work. 
We  had  captured  fifteen  pieces  of  artillery  by  the  most  daring 
charges,  killed  one  and  wounded  two  brigadier-generals,  aud  a 
very  large  number  of  inferior  officers  and  men,  estimated  at  no 
less  than  four  thousand,  and  captured  four  hundred  prisoners, 
including  three  staff-officers,  with  servants,  carriage  and  bag 
gage  of  Major-general  McCook. 

The  ground  was  literally  covered  with  his  dead  and  wounded. 
In  such  a  contest  our  own  loss  was  necessarily  severe,  probably 
not  less  than  twenty-five  hundred  killed,  wounded,  and  miss 
ing.  Included  in  the  wounded  are  Brigadier-generals  AVood, 
Cleburne,  and  Brown,  gallant  and  noble  soldiers,  whose  loss 
will  be  severely  felt  by  their  commands.  To  Major-general 
Polk,  commanding  the  forces,  Major  general  Hardee,  com 
manding  the  left  wing,  two  divisions,  and  Major-generals 


332  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

Cheatham,  Buckner,  and  Anderson,  commanding  divisions, 
are  mainly  due  the  brilliant  achievements  of  this  memorable 
field.  Nobler  troops  were  never  more  gallantly  led.  The 
country  owes  them  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  I  am  sure  will  be 
acknowledged. 

Ascertaining  that  the  enemy  was  heavily  reinforced  during 
the  night,  I  withdrew  my  force  early  the  next  morning  to 
Harrodsburg,  arid  thence  to  this  point.  Major-general  Smith 
arrived  at  Harrodsburg  with  most  of  his  force  and  Withers'  di 
vision  the  next  day,  10th,  and  yesterday  T  withdrew  the  whole 
to  this  point,  the  enemy  following  slowly  but  not  pressing  us. 
I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

BRAXTON  BRAGG, 

General  commanding. 
To  Adjutant-general,  Richmond,  Va. 

After  the  Jbattle  of  Perry  ville,  General  Bragg  deemed  it  best 
to  transfer  the  army  back  to  Tennessee,  giving  up  the  plan  of 
a  longer  campaign  in  Kentucky.  What  his  reasons  for  this 
were,  has  been  variously  stated ;  but  we  need  not  stay  to  can 
vass  them  now.  Suffice  it  that  the  retreat  began,  commencing 
on  Sunday  night,  the  12th  of  October.  It  is  said  that  when 
the  Confederate  troops  abandoned  Lexington,  where  the  main 
part  of  the  forces  had  been  encamped,  "  the  terror,  dismay, 
and  anguish  of  the  inhabitants  were  extreme.  The  women  ran 
through  the  streets  crying  and  wringing  their  hands,  while 
families  hastily  gathered  their  clothing,  packed  their  trunks, 
and  obtained  wagons  to  depart,  the  greatest  distress  prevail 
ing." 

The  conduct  of  this  retreat  across  Kentucky,  and  through 
Cumberland  gap,  was  left  to  General  Polk,  and,  for  the  pre 
sent,  therefore,  we  need  follow  it  no  further.  General  Bragg, 
it  appears,  went  to  Richmond,  where  he  arrived  on  the  27th 
October,  and  the  next  day  had  a  conference  with  the  Presi 
dent  and  his  cabinet,  on  the  conduct  of  the  campaign.  From 
the  result  of  this  consultation  it  seems  that  the  course  General 
Bragg  had  pursued  was  satisfactory,  for  he  soon  returned  to 
the  west  with  undiminished  power,  though  General  J.  E. 
Johnston  was  appointed  Department  Commander. 

Bragg's  army  returned  into  Tennessee  by  the  middle  of  No- 


GENERAL  BRAXTON  BRAGG.  333 

vember,  and  was  stationed  at  Lavergne,  McMinville.  and  Mur- 
freesboro.  General  Rosecrans,  now  in  command  of  the  North 
ern  army,  vice  Buell  relieved,  was  at  Nashville,  concentrating, 
reorganizing,  and  disciplining  his  troops,  preparatory  to  a  for 
ward  movement.  Bragg's  forces  were  now  estimated  at  45, 000 
to  50,000  effective  men.  These  were  reviewed  by  President 
Davis  on  the  13th  of  December,  when  he  paid  a  visit  to  the 
army,  and  "His  Excellency  expressed  his  gratification  at  their 
fine  appearance  and  discipline — congratulating  the  command 
ers  present  upon  the  efficiency  of  their  respective  forces." 
President  Davis  returned  to  Chattanooga  next  day. 

A  day  or  two  afterwards,  some  correspondence  took  place 
between  Generals  Bragg  and  Rosecrans,  respecting  an  alleged 
violation  by  the  Confederates  of  a  flag  of  truce.  The  following 
reply  of  General  Bragg  deserves  insertion,  as  showing  his  readi 
ness  to  make  the  amende  honorable,  when  justly  due. 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OP  TENNESSEE,) 
MURFREESBORO,  TENN.,  December  16,  1862.         \ 

GKNERAL: — I  am  in  receipt  of  your  communication  of  the 
13th  inst,  in  regard  to  the  capture  of  three  of  your  vedettes, 
under  circumstances  apparently  implying  disrespect  to  the 
flag  sent  by  you. 

Prior  to  the  receipt  of  your  letter,  I  had  ordered  an  investiga 
tion  of  the  case.  From  the  report  now  before  me,  I  am  satis 
fied,  and  desire  to  assure  you,  that  the  party  effecting  the  cap 
ture  was  wholly  unaware  that  a  "flag"  had  passed,  and  was 
acting  under  orders  issued  the  day  previous.  It  had  left 
Lavergne  at  eight  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  13th,  and  pur 
sued  a  circuitous  route,  coming  upon  the  vedettes  after  the 
passage  of  the  flag. 

I  take  pleasure  in  informing  you  that  I  have  ordered  the 
men  to  be  returned  to  your  lines,  together  with  their  equip 
ments,  arms,  etc. 

I  am,  general,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

BRAXTON  BRAGG, 

General  Commanding 

Major-general  W.  S.  ROSECRANS,  Commanding 
United  States  forces,  Nashville,  Tennessee. 

The  month  of  December  was  now  passing  away,  and  it 


334  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

seems  to  have  been  expected  that  the  Federals  would  not  ad 
vance  for  some  time.  Christmas  day,  therefore,  was  spent  at 
Murfreesboro,  and  in  the  army  with  much  festivity  ;  yet.  in 
the  midst  of  all  the  enjoyments  of  the  hour,  news  came  that 
Rosecrans  was  marching  direct  upon  them  !  General  Bragg 
immediately  prepared  his  forces,  and  issuing  instructions  to 
his  army,  the  line  of  battle  was  thus  formed  :  half  of  the  army, 
left  wdng  in  front  of  Stone  river  ;  right  wing  in  .rear  of  the 
river.  Folk's  corps  to  form  left  wing  ;  Hardee's  on  the  right. 
Withers'  division  to  form  first  line  on  Folk's  corps  ;  Cheat- 
ham's  the  second  ;  Breckinridge's  the  first  line  in  Hardee's 
corps,  and  Cleburne's  the  second.  McCown  was  to  be  in  re 
serve  in  rear  of  Cheatharn,  and  Jackson  the  same  in  rear  of 
Hardee. 

In  a  brief  sketch  like  this,  it  is  impossible  to  give  any  thing 
like  a  minute  account  of  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro,  or  Stone 
river,  that  followed.  No  justice  could  properly  be  done  to  it, 
for  the  reports  of  both  sides  ought  to  be  ^carefully  examined 
for  the  purpose.  But,  in  this  sketch  it  is  enough  to  bring  for 
ward  that  which  belongs  especially  to  him  of  whom  we  write. 
Therefore,  the  following  independent  account  of  the  first  day's 
fight  is  introduced. 

The  enemy  commenced  the  advance  from  JSTashville  on 
Friday,  by  several  different  routes  of  march,  driving  in  our 
cavalry  under  Generals  Wheeler  and  Wharton,  who  severally 
fell  back,  gallantly  contesting  every  foot  of  the  way. 

On  Sunday  our  line  of  battle  was  formed  about  two  miles 
from  Murfreesboro,  stretching  transversly  across  Stone  river, 
from  the  Lebanon  pike  on  the  right  to  the  Franklin  road  on 
the  left.  On  Tuesday  the  enemy  had  deployed  into  line  of 
battle  upon  the  ridge,  whereon  stands  the  residence  of  Mr. 
Cowan,  at  a  distance  of  something  more  than  one  thousand 
five  hundred  yards  from  our  first  line,  and  considerably  over 
lapping  our  left  flank.  During  Monday  they  opened  with 
artillery  at  long  range,  and  on  Tuesday  heavy  skirmishing  ran 
up  and  down  the  line  from  the  left  to  the  centre,  swelling 
almost  into  a  battle  at  one  period,  when  the  enemy  attempted 
two  charges  on  Hobinson's  battery. 

On  the  night  of  Tuesday  it  had  become  evident  that  the 
attack  in  force  would  be  upon  our  left,  and  Cleburne's  division. 


GENERAL  BRAXTON  BRAGG.  335 

was  detached  from  the  right  for  the  purpose  of  strengthening 
that  point  and  extending  our  line,  which  gave  to  the  left  wing 
four  divisions — Cheatham's,  Withers',  McCown's,  and  Cle- 
bu  rue's. 

On  Wednesday  the  sun  rose  clear  after  several  days  of  fu 
neral  gloom,  drifting  the  mists  which  hung  like  silvery  cur 
tains  o'er  the  field,  dancing  and  glistening  along  the  serried 
line  of  steel,  which  glittered  in  the  morning  light  like  the 
sparklings  of  countless  diamonds,  bathing  the  gay  banners 
which  floated  in  the  front  with  a  flood  of  refulgence,  and  drift 
ing  in  golden  showers  through  the  emerald  fringe  of  cedars 
•which  enclosed  the  field.  Far  as  the  eye  could  reach  stood 
the  two  vast  armies,  silent  and  motionless;  and  it  almost 
seemed  instead  of  being  drawn  up  for  battle,  to  be  some  bril 
liant  holiday  parade  ;  but  at  length  a  volley  of  musketry  from 
the  extreme  left  told  too  plainly  that  the  work  of  death  had  in 
reality  begun,  and  in  an  instant  afterwards  the  strife  had 
leaped  from  point  to  point,  until  the  whole  line,  from  left  to 
center,  was  one  unbroken  blaze  of  fire. 

About  8  o'clock  A.  M.  the  divisions  of  McCown,  Cleburne, 
and  Cbeatham  were  ordered  to  charge.  The  enemy  was 
strongly  planted  in  a  dense  thicket  where  the  outcropping  of 
the  limestone  rocks  formed  a  natural  fortification.  Swiftly, 
but  with  a  perfect  line,  our  troops  emerged  from  the  .skirt  of 
timber  in  which  they  had  been  sheltered,  and  moved  across 
the  open  plain  which  intervened.  The  battle  now  became 
terrific.  Crash  upon  crash  of  musketry  stunned  the  ear  ;  the 
ground  trembled  under  the  thunders  of  artillery  ;  the  cedars 
rocked  and  quivered  in  the  fiery  blast,  and  the  air  was  rent 
with  the  explosion  of  shells.  The  enemy  seemed  determined 
to  stake  the  fortunes  of  the  day  upon  holding  the  position 
which  they  occupied,  and  offered  a  most  gallant  resistance; 
but  nothing  human  could  withstand  the  impetuosity  of  that 
charge.  A  spirit  of  fury  seemed  to  possess  our  men,  from  the 
commanders  down  to  the  common  soldier,  and  on  they  swept, 
shot  and  shell,  canister,  grape,  and  bullets,  tearing  through 
their  ranks  until  the  way  could  be  traced  by  the  dead  and 
dying.  Still  on  they  went,  overrunning  infantry  and  artillery 
alike,  driving  the  enemy  like  the  hurricane  scatters  the  leaves 
upon  its  course,  capturing  hundreds  of  prisoners  and  literally 


336  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

blackening  the  ground  with  dead.  Such  a  charge  was  never 
before  witnessed.  For  two  miles,  through  fields  and  forests, 
over  ditches,  fences,  and  ravines,  they  swept.  Brigade  after 
brigade,  battery  after  battery,  were  thrown  forward  to  stay 
their  onward  march  ;  but  another  round  of  musketry,  another 
gleaming  of  the  bayonet,  and,  like  their  predecessors,  they 
were  crushed  into  one  common  ruin.  Meantime  the  brave 
Withers  was  not  idle.  His  line  of  battle  ran  diagonally  across 
an  extended  field,  and  the  enemy  had  been  pouring  a  tremen 
dous  fire  into  his  position,  until,  driven  almost  to  the  verge  of 
madness  by  the  distraction  of  his  men,  he  threw  his  division 
forward  upon  the  ridge  occupied  by  the  enemy.  Here  was, 
perhaps,  the  bloodiest  struggle  of  the  day.  The  enemy  was 
stronger  at  this  point  than  any  where  else  upon  the  field,  and 
long  and  fiercely  contended  the  position.  Directly  in  front 
was  a  wide  area  of  cleared  land,  and  across  this  it  was  neces 
sary  to  advance  under  the  sweeping  fire  of  six  batteries  ;  but 
with  dauntless  hearts  and  a  step  as  proud  as  though  on  parade 
his  men  sprang  forward  at  the  wTord,  and  marched  on  into  the 
face  of  death.  Once  they  wavered  as  the  enemy  poured  a 
perfect  hail  of  iron  through  their  ranks ;  but  at  this  moment 
Bragg  dashed  by,  the  battle  fires  burning  in  his  eyes,  and  the 
fate  of  nations  in  his  hand.  Again  they  rushed  upon  the  foe, 
shot  down  the  gunners  at  their  pieces,  and  drove  the  support 
ing  divisions  far  back  to  the  rear. 

That  night,  both  armies  rested  as  best  they  could  among 
the  cedars,  or  on  the  open  plain.  It  was  intensely  cold,  freez 
ing  severely.  Upon  the  battlefield  lay  thousands  of  dead  and 
wounded  frozen  stiff,  and  presenting  a  ghastly  spectacle.  The 
scene  was  fearful  though  picturesque.  A  brilliant  winter 
moon  shed  its  lustre  amid  the  foliage  of  the  forest  of  ever 
greens,  and  lighted  up  with  silver  sheen  the  ghastly  battle 
field.  Dismounted  cannon,  scattered  caissons,  glittering  and 
abandoned  arms  strewed  the  forest  and  field.  The  dead  lay 
stark  and  stiff  at  every  step,  with  clenched  hands  and  con 
tracted  limbs  in  the  wild  attitudes  in  which  they  fell,  con 
gealed  by  the  bitter  cold.  It  was  the  eve  of  the  new  year. 
Moans  of  the  neglected  dying,  mingled  with  the  low  peculiar 
shriek  of  the  wounded  artillery  horses,  chanted  a  miserere  for 
the  dying  year.  Amid  the  camp  fires,  feebly  lighted  to  avoid 


GENERAL  BRAXTON  BRAGG.  337 

attracting  the  artillery  of  the  enemy,  groups  of  mutilated  and 
shuddering  wounded  were  huddled,  and  the  kneeling  forms  of 
surgeons  bending  in  the  firelight  over  the  mangled  bodies  of 
the  dying,  added  to  the  solemnity  of  the  night. 

Next  clay  there  was  little  done  but  skirmishing.  The  enemy 
had  taken  up  a  stronger  position  than  before,  and  both  armies 
drew  breath,  for  awhile,  till  renewed  strength  was  obtained 
for  the  fight.  On  January  2d,  no  movement  took  place  till 
about  4  P.  M.  when  orders  were  given  to  assault  the  enemy's 
stronghold  on  the  bend  of  river.  General  Breckinridge  was 
directed  to  this  duty.  Hanson's,  Palmer's,  Pillow's,  Preston's, 
and  Gibbon's  brigades  formed  the  division,  and,  when  the 
signal  gun  was  given,  onward  they  went  to  what  seemed 
almost  certain  destruction.  Through  the  thinned  woods — into 
the  open  fields,  the  gallant  leaders  and  their  brave  followers 
rushed.  Then  came  the  thundering  fire  of  the  enemy's  artil 
lery,  and,  expecting  it,  the  men  were  ordered  to  lie  down  till 
it  passed.  But,  directly  the  storm  of  shot  and  shell  went  by, 
— "  Up,  my  men,  and  charge  !"  was  the  ringing  cry  of  Breck 
inridge  as  he  himself  dashed  on.  With  the  impetuosity  of  a 
torrent  they  rushed  forward.  Wright's  battery  galloped  up, 
and  soon  a  fierce  and  bloody  contest  ensued.  But,  in  vain  ! 
In  less  than  half  an  hour  over  2000  brave  soldiers  on  the 
Confederate  side  had  fallen  !  The  task,  therefore,  was  seen 
to  be  hopeless,  and  General  Breckinridge  ordered  his  division 
to  fall  back,  when  it  was  nearly  dark. 

In  this  attack,  General  Hanson  fell  mortally  wounded,  ex 
claiming,  "  Forward — forward,  my  brave  boys,  to  the  charge  !" 
and  afterwards,  when  brought  from  the  field,  he  said  with  his 
flickering  breath,  "  I  am  willing  to  die  with  such  a  wound, 
received  in  so  glorious  a  cause."  Captain  Wright  also  fell  at 
his  guns  mortally  wounded. 

General  Bragg  had  sent  General  Patton  Anderson  with  his 
brigade  to  the  support  of  Breckinridge,  and  nobly  did  they 
bear  themselves,  receiving  a  high  meed  of  praise  from  the 
commander-in-chief  for  their  conduct. 

The  battle  was  over.  General  Bragg  felt  that  prudence 
dictated  a  withdrawal ;  and  accordingly,  0*1  the  following  day, 
the  Confederate  army  retreated1  towards  Tullahoma. 

Before  we  close  this  too  hurried  account  of  the  great  battle 

22 


338  SOUTHED   GENERALS. 

of  Murfreesboro,  let  us  mention  the  names  most  prominently 
brought  forward  in  laudatory  terms  by  General  Bragg.     He 


"Among  the  gallant  dead  the  nation  is  called  to  mourn, 
none  could  have  fallen  more  honored  or  regarded  than  Briga 
dier-generals  James  E.  Rains  and  R.  M.  Hanson.  They 
yielded  their  lives  in  the  heroic  discharge  of  their  duties,  and 
leave  their  honored  names  as  a  rich  legacy  to  their  descend- 
ents.  Brigadier-general  J.  R.  Chalmers  and  D.  W.  Adams 
received  disabling  wounds  on  Monday — I  am  happy  to  say 
not  serious,  but  which  deprived  us  of  their  valuable  services. 
Having  been  under  my  immediate  command  since  the  begin 
ning  of  the  war,  I  can  bear  evidence  to  their  devotion  and  to 
the  conspicuous  gallantry  which  has  marked  their  services  on 
•every  field. 

"For  the  sacred  names  of  the  heroes  and  patriots  of  lower 
grades  that  gave  their  lives,  illustrating  the  character  of  the 
Confederate  soldiers  on  this  bloody  field,  I  must  refer  to  the 
reports  of  subordinate  commanders,  and  to  the  list  which  will 
be  submitted.  Onr  losses,  it  will  be  seen,  exceeded  ten  thou 
sand,  nine  thousand  of  whom  were  killed  or  wounded. 

'"  Lieutenant-generals  L.  Polk,  and  W.  J.  Hardee,  command 
ing  corps,  Major-generals  J.  M.  Withers  and  P.  R.  Cleburne, 
commanding  divisions,  are  specially  commended  to  their  gov 
ernment  for  their  valor,  skill,  and  ability  displayed  throughout 
the  engagement. 

"  Brigadier-generals  Joseph  Wheeler  and  John  A.  Wharton, 
commanding  cavalry  brigades,  were  pre-eminently  distin 
guished  throughout  the  engagement,  as  they  had  been  for  a 
month  previous  in  many  successive  conflicts  with  the  enemy. 
Under  their  skilful  and  gallant  lead,  the  reputation  of  our  cav 
alry  has  been  justly  enhanced.  For  the  just  commendation  of 
the  officers,  many  of  whom  were  pre-eminently  distinguished, 
I  must  refer  to  their  more  immediate  commendation." 

On  the  8th  of  January,  General  Bragg  had  his  headquarters 
at  Winchester,  not  far  from  the  south  border  of  Tennessee.  He 
addressed  the  inhabitants  of  the  district,  calming  their  fears, 
and  stating  that  he  had  fallen  back  to  give  his  men* repose. 
At  the  same  time,  he  issued  a  congratulatory  and  compliment 
ary  address  to  his  army. 


GENERAL  BRAXTON  BRAGG.  339 

From  this  date,  for  several  months,  nothing  more  was  done 
by  the  main  army,  though  detached  commands  were  ever 
vigorously  at  work.  The  Confederates  rested  at  Tullahoma 
and  vicinity,  while  the  Federals  remained  in  the  position  they 
had  moved  to  after  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro. 

As  regards  General  Bragg  himself,  there  was,  at  this  time,  a 
great  deal  of  unpleasant  discussion  concerning  him.  Like  all 
men  of  a  stern,  unbending  mind,  he  was  not  very  popular,  and 
it  would  appear  that  there  were  many  who  thought  if  he  were 
removed  from  his  post  it  would  be  to  the  advantage  of  the 
cause.  But  let  us  bear  in  mind  that  there  are  few  men  placed 
in  a  prominent  position  that  are  not  subject  to  similar  attacks, 
whether  justly  deserved  or  not ;  and,  in  General  Br^gg's  case, 
it  is  certain  that  he  was  supported  by  the  President  and  his 
cabinet ;  therefore,  must  have  been  deemed  well  fitted  for  his 
post.  A  foreign  officer  of  rank,  calling  upon  him  at  this  time, 
May  29th,  1863,  says,  after  describing  his  appearance,  "He 
has  the  reputation  of  being  a  strict  disciplinarian,  and  shooting 
freely  for  insubordination.  I  understand  he  is  unpopular  on 
this  account,  and  also  by  reason  of  his  occasional  acerbity  of 
manner.  He  was  extremely  civil  to  me,  and  gave  me  permis 
sion  to  visit  the  outposts,  or  any  part  of  his  army.  He  ex 
pressed  regret  that  a  boil  on  his  hand  would  prevent  his 
accompanying  me.  Rosecrans'  position,  he  said,  extended 
about  forty  miles,  and  Murfreesboro  twenty-live  miles  distant 
from  Bragg's  headquarters,  at  Shelby ville,  was  Rosecrans' 
headquarters.  The  Confederate  cavalry  inclosed  him  in  a 
semicircle  extending  over  a  hundred  miles  of  country.  .  .  He 
talked  to  me  a  long  time  about  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro,  and 
said  he  retained  possession  of  the  ground  he  had  won  for  three 
days  and  a  half,  and  only  retired  on  account  of  the  exhaustion 
of  his  troops,  and  after  carrying  off  over  6,000  prisoners,  much 
cannon,  and  other  trophies.  He  allowed  that  Rosecrans  had 
displayed  much  firmness.  ...  At  5  P.  M.,  I  was  present  at  a 
great  open-air  preaching,  at  General  Wood's  camp.  Bishop 
Elliott  preached  most  admirably  to  a  congregation  of  nearly 
3,000  soldiers,  who  listened  to  him  with  the  most  profound  at 
tention.  Generals  Bragg,  Polk,  Hardee,  Withers,  Cleburne, 
and  others  were  present.  It  is  impossible  to  exaggerate  the 
respect  paid  by  all  ranks  of  his  army  to  Bishop  Elliott ;  and, 


340  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

although  most  of  the  officers  are  Episcopalians,  the  majority 
of  the  soldiers  are  Methodists,  Baptists,  etc.  ...  I  got  back  to 
Shelby ville  at  4.30  p.  M.  (June  2d),  just  in  time  to  be  present 
at  an  interesting  ceremony  peculiar  to  America.  This  was  a 
baptism  at  the  Episcopal  church.  The  ceremony  was  per 
formed  in  an  impressive  manner,  by  Bishop  Elliott,  and  the 
person  baptized  no  less  than  the  commander-in-chief.  The 
bishop  took  the  general's  hand  in  his  own  (the  latter  kneeling 
in  front  of  the  font),  and  said,  '  Braxton,  if  thou  hast  not  al 
ready  been  baptized,  I  baptize  thee,'  etc.  Immediately  after 
wards  he  confirmed  General  Bragg,  who  then  shook  hands 
with  General  Polk,  the  officers  of  their  respective  staffs,  and 
myself,  who  were  the  only  spectators." 

We  now  turn  again  to  the  military  operations  under  General 
Bragg's  command. 

AVith  the  exception  of  the  minor  affairs  at  Liberty,  and 
Hoover's  gaps,  nothing  particular  occurred  until  the  beginning 
of  June,  when  Rosecrans  advanced  with  a  very  powerful  and 
numerous  army.  On  the  27th,  General  Bragg  fell  back  to 
Chattanooga,  and  established  his  headquarters  first  at  Bridge 
port,  and  then  in  the  town.  Round  this  place  the  Confederate 
army  was  now  encamped,  Rosecrans  advancing  upon  it  across 
the  mountains  on  one  side,  and  Burnside  commanding  the 
Federal  forces  in  East  Tennessee,  coming  down  the  valley  via 
Cumberland  gap  on  the  other.  Chattanooga  was  placed  in  a 
good  state  of  defence,  and  works  thrown  up  across  the  river  as 
far  as  Blythe's  ferry.  Rosecrans,  however,  succeeded  in 
moving  well  up  to  Chattanooga  without  molestation,  and,  on 
the  8th  of  September,  the  Confederates  evacuated  the  place — 
retiring  to  the  Cliickamauga.  Here,  having  been  reinforced 
by  General  Longstreet,  Bragg  fought  the  Federals  on  the  20th 
of  September,  driving  them  back  to  Chattanooga.  We  have 
already  given  an  account  of  this  battle,  and  to  it  we  refer.  . 

Before  this,  President  Davis  had  again  visited  Bragg's 
army,  and,  shortly  afterwards,  Longstreet  had  been  detached 
to  Knoxsville.  Then  followed  the  disastrous  battle  of  Mis 
sionary  Ridge,  Chattanooga,  and  the  subsequent  retreat  to 
Dalton. 

On  the  2d  of  December,  General  Bragg  was  relieved  from  his 
command,  and  he  took  leave  of  the  army  in  the  following  order : 


GENERAL  BRAXTON  BRAGG.  34:1 

GENERAL  ORDERS— NO.  214. 

Upon  renewed  application  to  the  President,  his  consent  has 
been  obtained  for  the  relinquishment  of  the  command  of  this 
army.  It  is  accordingly  transferred  to  Lieutenant-general 
Hardee.  The  announcement  of  this  separation  is  made  with 
unfeigned  regret.  An  association  of  more  than  two  years, 
which  bind  together  a  commander  and  his  trusted  troops,  can 
not  be  severed  without  deep  emotion.  For  a  common  cause, 
dangers  shared  on  many  hard -fought  fields  have  cemented 
bonds  which  time  can  never  impair.  The  circumstances  which 
render  this  step  proper  will  be  appreciated  by  every  good 
soldier  and  true  patriot.  The  last  appeal  the  general  has  to 
make  to  the  gallant  army  which  has  so  long  nobly  sustained 
him  is  to  give  his  successor  that  cordial  and  generous  support 
essential  to  the  success  of  your  arms.  In  that  successor  you 
have  a  veteran  whose  brilliant  reputation  you  have  aided  to 
achieve.  To  the  officers  of  my  general  staff,  who  have  so  long 
zealously  and  successfully  struggled  against  serious  difficulties 
to  support  the  army  and  myself,  is  due,  in  a  great  degree, 
what  little  success  and  fame  we  have  achieved.  Bidding  them 
and  the  army  an  affectionate  farewrell,  they  have  the  blessings 
and  prayers  of  a  grateful  friend. 

BRAXTON  BRAGG. 

Immediately  after  his  retirement  from  the  army,  General 
Bragg  repaired  to  the  Warm  Springs,  in  Georgia,  to  recruit  his 
health,  and  on  the  5th  of  January,  1864,  visited  Columbus. 
The  care  and  incessant  labor  of  the  past  two  years,  it  was 
stated,  had  left  their  traces  upon  his  person  ;  but  he  was  still 
able  for  military  duty,  and,  in  February,  received  a  new  ap 
pointment  in  accordance  with  the  following  order : 

ADJUTANT  AND  INSPECTOR-GENERAL'S  OFFICE,  ) 
RICHMOND,  Va.,  February  24,  1864.         J 

General  Braxton  Bragg  is  assigned  to  duty  at  the  seat  of 
government,  and,  under  the  direction  of  the  President,  is 
charged  with  the  conduct  of  military  operations  in  the  armies 
of  the  Confederacy.  By  order. 

S.  COOPER,  Adjutant  and  Inspector-general. 
In  this  position,  the  general  frequently  visited  the  several 


312  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

military  posts  and  departments,  often  accompanied  by  the 
President.  At  the  funeral  of  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  he  was  one 
of  the  pall  bearers ;  and  in  July  and  August  he  was  at  Colum 
bus  and  Macon  ;  and,  when  the  army  of  Virginia  assembled 
once  more  around  Richmond,  he  examined  their  intrenchments 
and  fortifications,  preparatory  to  certain  movements.  But  the 
post  he  occupied  was  one  that  we  do  not  well  comprehend ; 
nor  does  it  seem  to.  have  been  rightly  understood  elsewhere. 
It  was  an  anomalous  one,  and  liable  to  much  discordance  of 
opinion  in  reference  to  it.  However,  towards  the  end  of  Octo 
ber,  he  was  assigned  to  another  department,  and,  in  Novem 
ber,  took  command  of  the  forces  in  North  Carolina.  In  the 
beginning  of  December  we  find  him  at  Augusta,  sending  in  a 
report  of  Wheeler's  operations ;  but  he  was  at  Wilmington,  as 
his  headquarters,  when  the  Porter-Butler  attack  on  Fort  Fisher 
was  unsuccessful.  He  then  issued  a  congratulatory  order, 
dated  December  29th,  1864,  to  his  troops;  but,  except  the  late 
achievements  of  the  Federal  arms,  under  General  Terry,  in  that 
quarter,  we  have  had  little  to  record  concerning  him. 

General  Bragg  has  been  long  married,  and  his  accomplished 
lady  frequently  visited  him  in  camp,  occasionally  in  the  depth 
of  winter.  Of  his  family,  we  have  no  information  at  present, 
but,  whatever  be  the  fate  of  the  Confederacy,  it  is  certain  that 
his  name  will  be  remembered  as  one  of  the  principal  of  those 
brave  and  unselfish  spirits,  whose  soul  animated  the  cause,  and 
whose  mind  and  body  ever  fought  heroically  for  its  support. 


LT    GEN,  R.  5.   EWE  LL 


l?riiu-e  William 


LIEUTKNANT-GENERAL    RICHARD    STODDART    EWELL. 

calling  out,  as  he  proceeded,  for  Captain  Marr.  But  Captain 
Marr  could  not  be  found  ;  and  meanwhile  the  Federal  cavalry 
was  pursuing  the  alarmed  outposts  through  the  place.  All 
was  confusion  and  dismay,  and  no  one  appeared  who  was  pre 
pared  to  take  command  of  the  few  infantry  still  remaining 
there.  Suddenly  a  figure,  only  partly  dressed,  dashed  forward 
and,  placing  himself  at  the  head  of  forty -three  members  of  the 
Warren  ton  Rifles — no  babies  did  they  show  themselves,  how 
ever — who  were  already  drawn  up  to  receive  the  enemy.  Hav 
ing  deployed  behind  a  fence,  he  advanced  towards  the  Federals. 
These  latter— company  B,  of  the  3d  cavalry,  1st  brigade,  com 
manded  by  Lieutenant  Tompkins — were  galloping  back,  and 
firing  right  and  left  in  the  darkness.  In  a  moment  they  were 
called  upon  to  "  Halt !"  by  the  new  leader  of  the  Confederates, 
who  was,  in  fact,  none  other  than  the  present  Lieutenant- 
general  Ewell.  He  had  rushed  from  his  bed,  without  stopping 
to  complete  his  attire ;  but,  in  the  blackness  of  the  night  his 
white  shirt  proved  a  sure  mark;  and,  a  shot  in  the  shoulder 
was  the  only  reply  he  received.  This,  for  the  time,  disabled 
him,  and  Colonel  Smith  ("  Extra  Billy")  took  the  command, 
being  accidentally  in  the  place.  A  firing  was  kept  up  for 
about  half  an  hour,  and,  finally,  Lieutenant  Tompkins  finding 
himself  outnumbered,  retreated  with  "five  prisoners  and  two 
horses,"  his  own  loss  being  "  three  men  missing,  three  wounded, 
and  six  horses." 

We  might  have  continued  more  of  this  interesting  episode 
of  the  war,  but  our  province  here  forbids.  We  must  say,  how 
ever,  that  Captain  Marr  had  not  slunk  away.  Rallying  his 
company,  and  placing  them  in  position,  he  went  forward  to 
reconnoitre,  but  never  returned  !  At  eight  o'clock  next  morn 
ing,  his  body  was  found  lying  in  a  field  by  the  road-side.  It 
appears  that  he  must  have  hastily  risen  from  his  couch  on  the 
first  sound  of  alarm  and  come  out,  for  he  had  not  given  him 
self  time  to  buckle  on  his  sword,  both  sword  and  belt  being 
grasped  tightly  in  the  hand  of  death, — a  death  most  truly 
honorable,  as  being  in  defence  of  his  native  Virginia  soil,  and, 
moreover,  as  also  being  "  the  first  who  had  shed  his  blood"  in 
defence  upon  that  soil.  He  was  a  single  man,  about  thirty 
years  of  age,  leaving  a  mother  and  two  sisters  dependent  on 
him  for  support.  The  whole  town  of  Warrenton  afterwards 


34:6  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

attended  his  funeral,  and  wept  over  his  grave — a  quiet  unob 
trusive  grave,  with  a  simple  square  marble  slab  to  mark  his 
remains. 

In  the  above  striking  incident,  connected  with  General 
Swell's  life,  we  have  adhered  literally,  arid  almost  verbally,  to 
the  account  printed  in  an  interesting  work  before  us,  and  which 
is  verified  by  reference  to  the  occurrence,  in  a  Richmond  pe 
riodical,*  as  also — in  regard  to  Captain  Marr  being  shot — 
borne  out  by  the  official  report  of  the  Federal  commanding 
officer.  That  officer,  could  not  then  be  aware  who  that  other 
officer  was  contending  with  his  party ;  but  probably,  ere  this, 
he  has  known  it  was  the  present  Lieutenant-general  Ewell  of 
the  Confederate  army.f 

With  the  rank  of  colonel,  we  next  find  him  in  command  of 
the  camp  of  instruction  for  cavalry  at  Ashland,  where  his  ser 
vices  were  invaluable.  His  discipline  was  stern  and  rigid,  but 
humane,  and,  out  of  raw  mounted  militia,  he  soon  formed  a 
most  efficient  body  of  troops.  He  was  afterwards  made  a  brig 
adier-general  ;  and,  at  the  battle  of  Blackburn's  ford,  July 
18,  1861,  was  stationed  on  the  extreme  right,  at  Union  Mills. 
In  Beau  regard's  official  report,  he  says :  "  Thanks  are  due  to 
Brigadier-generals  Bonham  and  Ewell  for  the  ability  shown  in 
conducting  and  executing  the  retrograde  movements  on  Bull 
Run,  directed  in  my  orders — movements  on  which  hung  the 
fortunes  of  the  army." 

General  Swell's  position  at  the  principal  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
on  the  21st  of  July,  was  in  the  same  place  at  Union  Mills,  and 
he  was  to  have  advanced  on  the  enemy's  flank  and  rear  at 
Centreville,  but  the  orders  for  such  a  movement  miscarried. 
In  the  afternoon,  however,  he  was  directed  to  bring  up  his 
brigade  into  the  battle  on  the  left  flank,  and  this  was  promptly 
executed,  though,  on  arrival,  the  day  had  been  won.  He  was, 
therefore,  sent  back,  with  all  speed,  to  resume  his  original 
position,  in  order  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  its  seizure  by 
any  force  of  the  enemy  in  that  quarter. 

*  Southern  Illustrated  News. 

f  This  volume  is  a  biographical  sketch  of  conspicuous  Southern  Generals. 
Captain  Marr,  it  is  true,  was  not  a  general ;  but,  may  we  not  say,  had  he  lived, 
he  would  assuredly  have  become  one  ?  We  think  so ;  and  therefore  hope  to 
be  excused  for  thus  almost  unavoidably  bringing  him  forward. 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   KICHARD    STODDART    EWELL.  347 

Until  April,  1862,*  no  movements  of  any  importance 
brought  General  Ewell  prominently  forward,  but  in  that 
month,  he  was  directed  to  join  "  Stonewall"  Jackson  in  the 
Shenandoah  valley ;  and  then  commenced  the  brilliant  career 
that  has  since  marked  his  name.  He  left  the  vicinity  of  Gor- 
donsville,  and  on  the  30th,  arrived  with  his  division  on  the. 
west  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  marching  directly  forward  to  the  posi 
tion  occupied  by  Jackson  in  Elk  Run  valley.  Receiving 
orders  there  how  to  proceed,  he  went  on  to  Newmarket,  and 
then  accompanied  Jackson  towards  Front  Royal. 

It  was  on  the  22d  of  May,  that  the  army  moved  on,  General 
Ewell  in  the  advance.  The  next  day  Front  Royal  was  cap 
tured,  and  Ewell  proceeded  on  to  Winchester,  bearing  a  con 
spicuous  part  in  the  defeat  of  the  enemy  at  that  place.  He 
then  followed  the  retreating  forces,  under  Banks,  to  the  Po 
tomac,  and,  on  the  return  of  Jackson's  army  from  the  pursuit, 
he  was  ordered  to  hold  Fremont  in  check  at  Strasburg.  This 
was  successfully  done,  till  Jackson,  with  the  main  body  of  his 
forces,  had  left  Strasburg,  on  the  evening  of  the  1st  of  June. 
Next  day,  General  Ewell  made  a  stand  at  Fisher's  Hill,  and 
impeded  the  progress  of  General  Milroy.  He  then  gradually 
retired  towards  Harrisonburg,  forming  the  rearguard  of  the 
Confederate  army.  Passing  to  Cross  Keys,  on  the  road  to 
Port  Republic,  he  there  had  an  engagement  with  General 
Fremont's  forces,  which  he  defeated,  and  next  morning,  June 
9th,  he  marched  to  join  General  Jackson  at  Port  Republic, 


*  When  the  Confederates  evacuated  Manassas  in  1862,  some  interesting  doc 
uments  were  found  by  the  Federals,  amongst  others,  the  following,  which 
explains  itself: 

October  18,  1861. 
General  G.  T.  BEAUREGARD  : 

SIR — The  bearer,  Charles  Dillon,  of  the  Twelfth  Mississippi,  has  just  brought 
some  late  papers,  which  may  be  interesting  to  you.  He  has  a  proposition  to 
make  in  reference  to  watching  the  enemy,  which  I  thought  might  be  of  im 
portance  to  bring  to  your  notice.  They  (he  and  three  comrades)  have  been 
scouting  around  and  about  Springfield,  and  I  have  always  found  them  reliable. 
He  proposes  now  to  go  into  Alexandria,  and  I  advised  him  to  see  you,  in  order, 
if  you  wish  him  to  do  so,  that  his  exertions  may  be  properly  directed. 

Respectfully,  K.  S.  EWELL. 

[Sequel— Charles  Dillon  was  caught  and  killed  as  a  spy.— March  19,  1862.] 


348  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

leaving  a  small  force  behind  to  keep  the  enemy  in  check. 
The  battle  here,  between  Jackson  and  Shields,  was  already 
raging  hotly,  but  his  arrival  promptly  arrested  an  advance  of 
the  Federals  on  General  "Winder,  though  he  was  soon  after 
wards  driven  back  with'  some  loss.  His  command,  however, 
speedily  rallied,  and  materially  aided  in  the  defeat  of  the 
enemy. 

The  movements  of  Jackson's  army  after  this  are  well  known, 
and  have  already  been  related.  General  Ewell  accompanied 
it,  with  his  command,  to  the  battlefields  around  Richmond, 
and  shared  in  the  heaviest  of  the  engagements. 

On  the  way  to  Cold  harbor,  June  26th,  Ewell  was  in  front 
of  Jackson's  forces,  and  drove  the  enemy  before  him,  sur 
mounting  every  obstacle  which  they  had  placed  upon  the 
roads  to  bar  his  progress,  and  reaching  Cold  harbor  about  5 
p.  M.  In  the  battle  that  now  followed,  on  June  27th,  General 
Ewell  was  in  the  advanced  centre  of  Jackson's  corps,  and 
maintained  a  hard  fight  with  the  enemy,  "  charging  through 
the  swamp,  up  the  hill,  in  face  of  a  terrible  fire,  and  fighting 
with  that  daring  which  had  so  often  excited  the  admiration  of 
his  commander."  He  continued  the  struggle  until  after  dusk, 
when  his  ammunition  being  completely  exhausted,  he  fell  back. 
On  the  morning  of  the  28th,  General  Ewell  was  sent  forward 
to  Dispatch  station,  on  the  York  river  railroad,  General  Stuart 
being  in  advance,  with  his  cavalry.  Here  Ewell  tore  up  the 
track,  and  having  ascertained  that  the  enemy  had  not  retreated, 
as  was  deemed  possible,  in  the  direction  of  the  White-house 
and  Parnunkey,  he  proceeded  towards  Bottom  bridge,  and 
thence,  on  the  next  day,  rejoined  the  mam  corps.  That  even 
ing,  in  company  with  D.  H.  Hill,  and  Whiting,  all  under  the 
personal  command  of  Jackson,  he  crossed  the  Chickahominy 
by  the  Grapevine  bridge,  and  followed  the  enemy  on  their 
track,  by  the  "Williamsburg  road,  and  Savage  station.  At 
White-oak  swamp  they  were  encountered,  and  driven  back 
again.  At  Frazer's  farm  Jackson's  corps  was  assigned  to  the 
front,  and  promptly  followed  the  Federals  to  Malvern  Hill, 
where,  in  that  battle,  General  Ewell  also  bore  a  conspicuous 
part. 

After  the  series  of  battles  around  Richmond  had  freed  the 
capital  from  danger,  it  was  found  necessary  to  dispatch  Jack- 


LIEUTEXANT-GENERAL    STODDART    EWELL.  3i9 

son's  corps  to  arrest  tlie  movements  of  General  Pope,  then  ad 
vancing  in  Northern  Virginia.  General  Swell's  division  was, 
therefore,  forwarded  thither  within  a  fortnight  after  the  en 
gagement  at  Malvern  Hill;  and  he  arrived  at  Gordonsville  on, 
July  19th.  On  the  7th  of  August  he  led  the  advance,  when 
Jackson  moved  forward  ;  and  on  the  9th,  when  near  Cedar 
Hun.  was  directed  to  diverge  to  the  right,  and  pass  along  the 
slope  of  Slaughter's  Mountain — the  enemy,  at  that  time,  being 
posted  in  heavy  force  in  the  front.  Ewell,  with  his  command, 
reached  the  northwest  termination  of  the  mountain,  and,  upon 
an  elevated  spot,  about  two  hundred  feet  above  the  valley  be 
low,  planted  a  battery  of  guns,  which  opened  with  marked  ef 
fect  upon  the  foe.  For  some  two  hours,  a  rapid  and  continuous 
fire  of  artillery  was  kept  up  on  both  sides  of  the  main  armies, 
but  Ewell  was  unable  to  advance  as  far  as  he  desired,  owing 
to  the  Confederate  batteries  in  the  valley  sweeping  his  only 
approach  to  the  enemy's  left.  At  length,  an  opportunity  pre 
senting,  he  pushed  on,  under  a  heavy  fire,  and  vigorously  as 
sisted  in  driving  the  Federals  back. 

The  march  towards  Manassas  then  followed,  by  the  circu 
itous  route  of  the  Thoroughfare  gap,  which  we  have  already 
mentioned  in  our  sketch  of  General  Jackson  ;  and  we  need 
now  only  refer  to  the  attack  upon  Bristoe  station,  made  by 
General  Ewell,  on  August  27th.  Here  General  Hooker  com 
manded  frhe  Federal  army ;  and,  after  an  obstinate  struggle, 
Ewell  retreated,  in  accordance  with  previous  orders,  to  join  the 
main  body  of  the  Confederate  forces,  at  Manassas.  Jackson 
and  Ewell  then  fell  back  to  the  old  battlefield  of  Bull  Run, 
where,  on  the  29th,  before  the  whole  army  had  reinforced 
them,  Ewell's  corps  was  stationed  behind  the  embankment  of 
the  intended  line  of  railroad,  passing  from  near  Sudley  Springs 
to  beyond  Groveton.  In  the  afternoon,  it  was  seen  that  the 
enemy  was  advancing  in  front,  and  after  carefully  reconnoiter- 
ing,  General  Jackson  gave  Ewell  orders  to  advance. 

General  Ewell  immediately  threw  forward  his  own  division 
and  Jackson's,  and  attacked  the  enemy,  then  coming  along  the 
Warrenton  turnpike.  A  fierce  engagement  ensued,  lasting 
during  the  remaining  two  hours  of  daylight.  Finally,  the 
Federals  gave  way,  and  at  nightfall  were  entirely  repulsed. 

In  this  engagement  General  Ewell  was  badly  wounded  in 


350  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

the  knee,  and  his- valuable  services  were,  therefore,  lost  in  the 
momentous  battle  that  took  place  next  day.  His  division  fell 
under  the  command  of  Brigadier-general  Lawton — who  ably 
sustained  its  reputation.  The  wound  he  had  received  was  from 
a  minie  ball ;  and  the  bones  were  so  shattered,  that,  in  the 
opinion  of  his  surgeons,  at  the  time,  amputation  was  deemed 
necessary ;  and  he  was  accordingly  removed,  in  a  litter,  to  the 
hospital,  near  Aldie,  where  the  operation  was  performed,  lie 
was,  ultimately,  taken  to  Charlottesville,  to  the  house  of  Cap 
tain  T.  L.  Farish,  where  he  was  carefully  attended. 

For  several  months  afterwards,  General  Ewell  was  unfit  for 
any  active  duty  in  the  field.  At  length,  on  the  29th  of  May, 
1863,  he  was  able  to  rejoin  his  old  corps,  who  were  drawn  up 
at  Hamilton's  crossing,  near  Fredericksburg,  ready  to  receive 
him,  his  arrival  being  greeted  with  enthusiastic  cheers.  He 
had  been  made  a  lieutenant-general,  and  had  now  command  of 
one  of  the  three  large  corps  (Jackson's  old  corps  incorporated 
with  his)  into  which  the  army  under  General  Lee  had  been  di 
vided, — Generals  Longstreet  and  A.  P.  Hill  having  command 
of  the  other  two. 

General  Ewell,  owing  to  the  loss  of  his  leg,  had  now  to  be 
always  strapped  on  his  horse,  when  on  the  field  ;  and,  when 
walking,  moved  with  great  difficulty  on  crutches.  It  was  said 
of  him,  that  his  spirit  was  like  the  blast  of  that  "  wild  horn  on 
Fontarabian  echoes  borne,"  and  would,  as  we  find  it  did,  act 
upon  the  veterans  of  Jackson's  old  corps,  almost  like  a  visita 
tion  of  the  dead  warrior  to  his  former  comrades,  from  the  realm 
of  spirits. 

It  was  at  this  time  General  Lee's  plans  began  to  be  put  in 
execution  for  invading  Maryland,  as  we  have  already  stated. 
General  Ewell's  corps  was  dispatched  to  Culpepper,  reaching 
there  on  the  8th  of  June  ;  and  soon  afterwards,  in  accordance 
with  the  orders  received,  he  marched  forward  to  attack  Gen 
eral  Milroy  at  Winchester,  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  He 
rapidly  passed  through  the  gorges  of  the  Blue  Ridge  Moun 
tains,  and  then,  by  way  of  Front  Royal,  came  upon  Milroy  on 
Sunday,  the  14th  of  June,  at  5  p.  M.  Getting  his  batteries 
swiftly  into  position,  he  massed  his  infantry,  and  then  ''charged 
across  the  field,  to  the  very  muzzles  of  the  Federal  guns,  al 
though  the  latter  were  fired  vigorously.  Without  a  pause,  the 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    STODDART    EWELL.  351 

Confederates  crossed  the  ditch,  leaped  over  the  breastworks, 
and  planted  their  colors  on  the  embankment.  The  Ohio  regi 
ment  was  driven  from  the  works  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 
Some  escaped  back  to  the  main  fort,  and  the  remainder  were 
captured,  or  killed."  Thus  the  fight  continued  until  night — 
General  Ewell  fiercely  assaulting  the  Federals,  on  the  east, 
south,  and  west  of  the  town.  At  one  o'clock,  General  Milroy 
abandoned  Winchester,  and  retreated  to  Harper's  Ferry,  leaving 
behind  him  an  immense  booty,  in  guns,  ammunition,  horses, 
commissariat  stores,  etc.,  to  Ewell  and  his  victorious  troops. 

General  Ewell  moved  promptly  up  the  valley — Martinsburg 
having  been  taken  about  the  same  time  by  General  Rhodes, 
while  Jenkins,  in  the  advance,  with  his  cavalry,  was  crossing 
the  Potomac,  at  Williamsport — and  then  marched  on  to  Cham- 
bersburg,  where  he  arrived  on  Tuesday  evening,  June  16th. 

The  whole  army  of  General  Lee  was  now  rapidly  marching 
into  Maryland — General  E well's  corps  in  the  advance.  After 
crossing  the  Potomac  it  passed  from  Williamsport  to  Hagers- 
town,  and  at  noon  on  the  22d  of  June,  entered  Greencastle, 
Pennsylvania.  On  the  23d,  Ewell  occupied  Chambersburg, 
and  next  day  he  issued  the  following  order  : 

"  The  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  to  this  command,  without 
written  permission  from  a  major-general,  is  strictly  prohibited. 

"Persons  having  liquor  in  their  possession,  are  required  to 
report  the  fact  to  the  provost  marshal,  or  the  nearest  general 
officer,  stating  the  amount  and  kind,  that  a  guard  may  be 
placed  over  it,  and  the  men  prevented  from  getting  it. 

"Any  violation  of  part  one  of  these  orders,  or  failure  to 
comply  with  part  second,  will  be  punished  by  the  immediate 
confiscation  of  all  liquors  in  the  possession  of  the  offending 
parties,  besides  rendering  their  other  property  liable  to  seizure. 

"  Citizens  of  the  country  through  which  the  army  may  pass, 
who  are  not  in  the  military  service,  are  admonished  to  abstain 
from  all  acts  of  hostility,  upon  the  penalty  of  being  dealt  with 
in  a  summary  manner.  A  ready  acquiescence  to  the  demands 
of  the  military  authorities  will  serve  to  lessen  the  rigors  of 
war." 

The  same  day  a  detachment  from  Swell's  corps  was  sent 
towards  Carlisle,  which  was  occupied  by  the  Confederates  on 
the  27th.  Here,  the  limits  of  advance  had  been  reached. 


352  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

Meade,  having  relieved  Hooker,  on  the  28th,  marched  the 
Federal  army  forward  to  meet  the  forces  under  Lee,  arid  on 
the  1st  of  July  the  two  armies  met  at  Gettysburg. 

E well's  corps  had  been  ordered  to  fall  back  on  Gettysburg, 
and  arrived  there  about  an  hour  after  the  battle  commenced. 
He  took  up  his  position  on  the  left  of  the  Confederate  army, 
and  immediately  attacked  the  enemy  with -great  vigor,  so  that, 
by  night,  Meade's  right  wing  had  fallen  back,  and  the  town  of 
Gettysburg  was  in  possession  of  General  Ewell, — having 
been  obtained  by  the  divisions  of  Early,  and  Rhodes.  The 
following  day,  and  succeeding  one,  the  battle  was  renewed, 
with  what  success  has  already  been  told.  The  Confederates 
retreated  towards  Virginia  again,  and  on  the  4th  of  July, 
Ewell,  with  the  immense  train  of  booty  he  had  captured  dur 
ing  the  past  few  days,  moved  as  rapidly  as  possible  towards 
Hagerstown,  and  thence,  crossing  the  Potomac,  to  Win 
chester. 

The  next  movement  of  any  importance  was  not  until  Octo 
ber,  after  the  army  had  rested  for  some  time  on  the  Rapid  an 
—General  Ewell  having  the  extreme  left.  On  the  8th  of  Oc 
tober  General  Lee  began  operations  anew,  and  General 
Ewell's  corps  marched  towards  and  beyond  Cnlpepper,  which 
had  been  held  by  the  Federals,  but  vacated  on  the  approach 
of  the  Confederates.  On  the  13th,  a  skirmish  took  place  be 
tween  Ewell's  advance  and  a  body  of  Meade's  troops  at 
Bristow  station,  the  latter  falling  back,  but,  on  the  next  day, 
returning  and  giving  battle  to  General  A.  P.  Hill,  who  had 
arrived  there.  The  result  proved  disastrous  to  the  Confeder 
ates,  and  thus  terminated  the  advance  of  General  Lee's  army. 
The  Southern  forces  fell  back  to  the  Rappahannock,  and  was 
disposed  on  both  sides  of  the  Orange  and  Alexandria  railroad, 
General  Ewell's  corps  being  on  the  right,  and  General  Hill's 
on  the  left. 

On  the  Tth  of  November,  General  Meade  advanced  again  on 
the  position  of  General  Ewell,  near  Kelly's  ford,  and  to  the 
bridge  over  the  river.  This  bridge 'was  defended  by  a  portion 
of  Ewell's  corps,  and,  at  night,  these  were  attacked  by  the 
enemy.  A  severe  struggle  ensued,  resulting  in  the  Confed 
erates  being  defeated  with  the  loss  of  four  guns,  eight  battle- 
flags,  and  a  number  of  men. 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    STODDART    EWELL.  353 

A  few  clays  afterwards  General  Ewell  was  obliged  to  absent 
himself  on  sick  leave,  in  consequence  of  renewed  trouble  from 
his  dismembered  limb.  He  retired  to  Charlottes ville,  and  we 
do  not  again  find  him  on  active  duty  until  the  following  April, 
1861,  when  he  rejoined  the  army,  then  preparing  for  the  vig 
orous  campaign  that  ensued. 

Here,  however,  we  must  again  say  that  to  enter  upon  details 
of  battles  and  engagements,  connected  with  each  of  the  gen 
erals  whose  public  life  we  sketch,  would  be  so  great  a  repeti 
tion  as  to  become  tedious  and  irksome  to  the  reader.  At  the 
same  time  we  wish  to  do  justice  to  the  brave  men  we  write  of; 
and,  therefore,  to  meet  the  difficulty,  we  have  given  more  full 
accounts  in  the  history  of  the  principal  commanding  officer  on 
the  field,  to  which  all  minor  particulars  are  referred. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  Swell's  corps  having  been  encamped  on 
Lee's  right,  moved  easterly,  a  few  of  his  brigades  remaining 
behind  for  a  day,  guarding  some  of  the  fords  across  the  Rapi- 
dan.  Johnson's  division,  having  the  advance,  followed  the 
turnpike,  and  encamped  for  the  night  within  three  miles  of 
Wilderness  Run.  Rodes,  next  in  .the  order  of  march,  lay  in 
his  rear  along  the  same  route  ;  and  Early,  who  had  moved 
from  Swell's  left  at  Summerville  ford,  encamped  for  the  night 
a  little  behind  Locust  Grove.  Xext  day,  Johnson  moved  with 
his  division  at  the  head  of  Ewell's  Qprps,  throwing  out  skir 
mishers  as  he  advanced.  These  were  driven  in  by  the  enemy, 
and  the  battle  began. 

We  have  already  given  details  of  this  battle,  and  need  only  say 
that  General  Ewell  was  constantly  engaged  in  directing  and 
superintending  the  movements  of  his  corps.  On  the  evening 
of  the  first  day's  light,  assisted  by  General  Smith,  of  the  Engi 
neers,  he  reviewed  his  position,  and  proceeded  at  once  to  cover 
his  front  with  a  line  of  field-works  and  an  abattis  of  felled 
trees.  Next  morning,  the  6th  of  May,  the  enemy  attacked 
him  with  a  heavy  force,  but,  being  repulsed,  determined  to 
make  a  movement  on  his  flank.  Ewell,  however,  "  with  the 
true  instincts  of  military  genius"  was  prepared  at  all  points, 
and  by  a  bold  charge  of  Major  Osborne  upon  the  advancing 
column  of  Burnside's  division,  defeated  the  attempt  so  suc 
cessfully  that  it  was  not  again  repeated.  Finally,  Ewell,  giv 
ing  directions  to  Early  on  the  left  of  his  corps,  allowed  General 

23 


354  SOUTHEKN    GENERALS. 

Gordon,  at  his  earnest  request,  to  make  a  particular  movement 
on  the  enemy's  flank.  The  sun  was  now  about  to  set,  but 
Gordon's  men,  supported  by  R.  D.  Johnston's  brigade  of  North 
Carolinians,  moved  briskly  out  of  their  works,  and,  rushing 
forward,  drove  everything  before  them.  "  A  brilliant  stroke 
thus  closed,  on  E well's  front,  the  second  day  of  the  battle  of 
the  Wilderness,  in  a  crowning  triumph." 

To  give  some  idea  of  the  fearful  nature  of  the  slaughter  in 
this  battle  we  may  add  that,  in  front  of  E well's  line,  alone, 
were  1,125  Federal  dead  lying  to  the  left  of  the  turnpike. 

On  Saturday,  May  ~th,  and  the  following  day,  Lee  retreated 
towards  Spottsylvania,  to  take  up  a  new  position,  E  well's  corps 
in  the  rear.  On  Sunday,  the  engagement  was  renewed  near 
Todd's  tavern,  and,  Kweli  having  come  up  to  the  support  of 
Anderson,  the  fighting  was  very  heavy.  The  result  was  satis 
factory  in  checking  the  enemy's  advance,  and  Spottsylvania 
Court-house  was  successfully  occupied  by  the  Confederates 
before  the  Federals  could  arrive.  Ewell  held  the  town  and 
heights  on  the  north  side,  and  kept  the  enemy  at  bay  in  every 
attempt  made  to  take  possession. 

On  Tuesday,  May  10th,  the  battle  was  again  commenced, — 
Swell's  corps  being  strongly  posted  in  the  centre, — and  for 
three  days'  heavy  fighting  continued,  resulting  in  the  discom 
fiture  of  one  of  his  divisions,  under  General  E.  Johnson  and 
Brigadier-general  G.  H.  Stewart,  both  of  whom,  with  their 
men,  were  captured. 

The  next  few  days  various  movements  took  place,  and  on 
Thursday,  the  19th,  Ewell,  with  part  of  his  corps,  proceeded 
to  make  a  reconnoissance  in  force  on  the  enemy's  right  flank. 
The  country  through  which  he  had  to  move  is  very  diversified 
by  woods  and  fields,  and  so  much  of  forest,  that  it  was  quite 
possible  to  escape  the  observation  of  the  enemy.  General 
Ewell  moved  by  a  circuitous  route,  and  struck  the  enemy's 
line  of  skirmishers  at  a  point  a  little  north  and  west  of  the  road 
leading  from  Fredericksburg  to  Spottsylvania,  and  about  eight 
miles  from  the  former  place.  A.bout  5  P.  M.  a  sharp  engage 
ment  ensued,  and  lasted  till  nine  o'clock,  when  the  fio-htino- 

1  o  & 

ceased,  and  the  Confederates  retired  to  their  original  posi 
tion. 

During  the  action,  General  Ewell's  horse  was  shot  under 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    STODDART    EWELL.  355 

him,  and  he  received  a  severe  fall.  He  tried,  on  the  next  day, 
to  again  mount  the  saddle  ;  but  soon  was  obliged  to  relinquish 
the  command  of  his  corps  to  General  Early,  and  retire.  He 
slowly  recovered,  and,  in  July,  assumed  command  of  the  De 
partment  of  Henrico,  and  finally,  of  the  immediate  defences 
of  Richmond. 


MAJOR-GENERAL  JAMES  E.  B.  STUART. 


His  Appearance. — Birth,  Parentage,  and  Education. — Service  in  New  Mexico. — 
Aid  to  Lee  at  the  John  Brown  Affair. — Kesigns  his  Commission  and  Joins  the  South. 
— His  Family  Connections. — At  Harper's  Ferry  and  the  Upper  Potomac. — Battle  of 
Bull  Run. — Made  Brigadier-general. — -His  Exploits. — Battles  on  the  Peninsula. — His 
Expedition  round  McClellan's  Army. — Promoted. — Interview  with  Federal  Officers. 
— Old  Acquaintances. — Surprise  of  Pope's  Headquarters.— His  Doings  in  Maryland. — 
Anecdote.  —  Frederickshurg.  —  His  After  Movements. — Chancellorsville.  —  Cavalry 
Battle  at  Brandy  Station. — Gettysburg. — Mosby's  Exploits. — Campaign  of  1864. — 
General  Sheridan's  Kaid. — Engagement  at  Yellow  Tavern. — Stuart  Mortally  Wounded. 
—His  Last  Moments. — Death  and  Burial. 

AT  the  battle  of  Williamsburg,  in  1862,  while  the  enemy 
were  advancing  on  the  redoubts  from  the  Yorktown  road,  a 
horseman  dashed  through  the  streets,  and  rode  up  to  the  head 
quarters  of  General  Johnston,  to  report.  He  appeared  much 
fatigued  and  overworked,  and  would  have  served  admirably 
for  a  picture  of  Dick  Turpin,  when  chased  by  officers  on  the 
road  to  York.  His  horse  was  a  splendid  black,  with  heavy 
reins  and  bit,  cavalry  saddle,  and  holsters :  foam  stood  in  a 
lather  upon  him,  and  he  was  mud-splashed  from  head  to  hoof. 
The  rider,  himself,  bore  no  insignia  of  command  :  a  common 
black  felt  hat,  turned  down  in  front,  and  up  behind :  a  heavy, 
black  overcoat,  tightly  buttoned:  elegant  riding-boots  cover 
ing  the  thigh  ;  a  handsome  sabre,  carelessly  slung  by  his  side, 
and  a  heavy  pair  of  Mexican  spurs,  that  jingled  and  rattled  on 
the  pavement  as  he  dismounted,  were  all  that  could  be  noticed, 
at  a  distance.  A  nearer  view,  however,  showed  a  thick-set, 
full-faced,  ruddy-complexioned  man,  with  close-cut  hair,  and 
apparently  some  thirty  years  old.  His  eyes  were  bright,  beam 
ing,  and,  when  lighted  up,  piercing,  and  full  of  deep  expres 
sion.  A  stranger,  unaccustomed  to  the  war,  would  at  first 
have  taken  him  to  be  a  daring  chief  of  some  wild  predatory 
band  ;  and  yet,  a  moment  more  would  cause  a  change  of  opin- 


MAJOR-GENERAL   JAMES    E.    B.    STUART.  357 

ion,  especially  on  hearing  him  speak,  and  noticing  the  high- 
toned,  gentlemanly  bearing  he  displayed. 

As  the  horseman  communicated  with  General  Johnston,  and 
mentioned  something,  both  smiled,  and  presently  it  was  known 
that  he  had  been  chased  by  "  old  Emory,"  of  the  Fifth  United 
States  Dragoons,  whose  light  artillery  could  be  heard  blazing 
away,  south  of  the  town.  In  a  moment  more,  he  rode  back 
again  to  the  fight. 

This  horseman,  whom  we  have  thus'  described  to  introduce 
him,  was  James  E.  B.  Stuart,  then  commanding  tire  cavalry 
rear-guard  of  the  Confederate  forces  at  Williamsburg.  Born 
about  the  year  1833,  in  Patrick  county,  Virginia,  he  very  early 
displayed  evidences  of  a  quick  and  active  turn  of  mind.  His 
father,  the  late  Archibald  Stuart,  formerly  member  of  Con 
gress,  gave  him  a  good  academic  education,  and  got  him  en 
tered  at  West  Point  Academy  in  1850.  There,  at  the  same 
time,  were  to  be  found  A.  P.  Hill,  Henry  Heth,  G.  II.  Stewart, 
.1ST.  G.  Evans,  J.  II.  Holmes,  K.  II.  Kobertsori,  S.  M.  Barton, 
and  T.  S.  Ehett,  all,  of  late,  belonging  to  the  Confederate 
army;  and  among  his  immediate  classmates,  were  J.  Pegram, 
G.  W.  Custis  Lee,  and  J.  B.  Villepigue,  also  now  fighting  for 
the  South.  Of  those  in  the  academy  with  him,  and  now  on 
the  side  of  the  North,  were  Burnside,  Yiele,  Wilcox,  Cogswell, 
O.  Howard,  and  Lieutenant  Greble  of  the  artillery,  who  was 
killed  at  Great  Bethel,  in  1861. 

Stuart  graduated  on  the  30th  of  June,  1854,  and  next  day 
received  his  appointment  as  brevet  second  lieutenant  of  the 
regiment  of  mounted  rifles.  On  the  3d  of  March,  1855,  he 
was  transferred,  with  full  rank,  to  the  First  Regular  Cavalry, 
then  having  for  its  colonel,  the  late  General  Sumner,  of  the 
Union  army,  and  for  lieutenant-colonel,  the  present  General 
J.  E.  Johnston,  of  the  Confederate  service.  In  July  of  the 
same  year,  he  was  made  regimental  quartermaster;  and,  the 
following  December,  received  his  appointment  as  first-lieu 
tenant. 

His  regiment  having  been  ordered  to  the  wilds  of  'New 
Mexico,  he  soon  had  an  opportunity  for  indulging  the  bent  of 
his  inclination  in  riding  and  fighting  with  the  boldest  and 
fiercest  among  all  the  brave  spirits  that  were  there.  Could 
we  find  space  to  narrate  them,  many  stirring  pictures  might 


358  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

be  given  of  his  roving,  dashing,  adventurous  life  in  that  re 
gion, — warring  with  the  Indians,  and  bounding  over  the 
mighty  plains.  But  we  must  pas*  over  such  scenes,  and  con 
fine  ourselves  to  a  simple  outline  of  his  spirited  career.  One 
incident,  alone,  has  to  be  related  of  this  period.  On  the  29th 
of  July,  1857,  Colonel  Sunnier  encountered  a  force  of  three 
hundred  Indians  of  the  Cheyenne  tribe.  They  were  strongly 
posted  on  the  Solomon  fork  of  the  Kansas  river,  and  after  a 
sharp  struggle,  they  were  defeated  and  put  to  flight  in  great 
disorder.  In  this  engagement  Lieutenant  Stuart  was  wounded, 
we  believe,  very  severely. 

Two  years  afterwards,  Lieutenant  Stuart  was  acting  as  aid 
to  Colonel  R.  E.  Lee,  in  the  John  Brown  affair,  at  Harper's 
Ferry, — an  account  of  which  we  have  already  given  ;  and 
when  the  present  war  broke  out,  he  resigned  his  commission 
on  May  14th,  1861,  and  offered  his  sword  to  his  native  State. 
He  immediately  raised  a  company  of  cavalry,  was  soon  after 
wards  elected  colonel,  and  then  acted  as  brigadier-general. 
At  this  time,  he  had  a  family,  and  many  ties  of  kindred  that 
might  have  influenced  him,  in  the  course  he  took.  His  wife 
was  a  daughter  of  Philip  St.  George  Cooke,  then  colonel  of  the 
Second  Dragoons  (since  a  general)  in  the  TJ.  S.  A.,  who  was 
also  a  Virginian  by  birth,  and  a  brother  of  the  late  J.  E.  Cooke, 
of  Richmond.  His  mother,  too,  was  alive  in  his  native  State; 
and  several  other  associations  bound  him  to  her  fortunes. 
There  may  have  been,  also,  something  in  connection  with  his 
descent,  which  it  is  said  was  from  David  Stuart,  of  Inverness 
in  Scotland,  who  claimed  affinity  with  Queen  Mary.  This 
David  Stuart  was  a  follower  of  the  elder  "  Pretender"  to  the 
British  crown,  and.  in  the  rebellion  of  1715,  he  was  so  impli 
cated  as  to  be  obliged  to  fly.  He  emigrated  to  Virginia,  and 
became  tutor  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Brent,  of  Richland,  Prince 
William  county.  The  wife  of  Mr.  Brent  was  a  sister  of  Sir 
John  Gibbons,  Member  of  Parliament  for  Middlesex,  and  an 
other  sister  being  on  a  visit  to  Virginia  at  this  time,  ultimately 
became  the  wife  of  Stuart.  Thus,  all  the  connections  of  Colo 
nel  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  were  Virginians,  and  combined  with  the 
inclination  he  had  for  a  new  and  dashing  life,  no  doubt  led 
him  to  side  with  the  South,  independent  of  whatever  patriotic 
feelings  in  that  quarter  he  may  have  had. 


MAJOR-GENERAL    JAMES    E.    B.    STUART.  3o9 

Colonel  Stuart  was  first  stationed  at  Harper's  Ferry,  in.  com 
mand  of  the  cavalry  attached  to  Jackson's  army,  and  his  well- 
known  bravery  made  him  already  conspicuous.  It  is  said  of 
him,  at  this  time,  by  one  who  was  competent  to  judge :  "  Stuart 
is  characterized  by  untiring  energy,  clear  judgment,  and  extra 
ordinary  powers  of  moulding  and  infusing  his  own  brave  spirit 
into  the  hearts  of  his  men."  General  Johnston,  who  had  as 
sumed  command  of  the  army,  also  spoke  of  him  as  "the  inde 
fatigable  Stuart ;"  and  truly,  this  appellation  seems  deserved. 
While  in  the  vicinity  of  the  upper  Potomac,  he  wTas  on  the 
alert,  watching  the  enemy,  riding  from  place  to  place  with  his 
men,  and  giving  information  to  the  general.  From  Point  of 
Itocks  to  beyond  Williamsport,  he  was  constantly  to  and  fro 
on  duty;  and,  on  the  loth  of  July,  reported  the  advance  of 
General  Patterson.  That  general's  movements  he  now  inces 
santly  watched  "with  lynx-eyed  vigilance;"  and,  on  one  occa 
sion,  surprised  a  whole  company,  who  were  so  much  startled 
by  his  sudden  command  to  throw  down  their  arms,  that  they 
instantly  submitted. 

When  General  Johnston  marched  to  unite  with  Beauregard 
at  Manassas,  Colonel  Stuart,  with  his  cavalry,  covered  the 
movement  most  effectually.  Posting  a  cordon  of  pickets  from 
Smithfield  along  by  Summit  Point  and  Eippori  to  the  Shen- 
andoah,  he  completely  concealed  the  change  of  base,  and  thus 
enabled  the  army  to  wend  its  way  without  molestation. 

In  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  at  the  commencement,  Stuart's 
cavalry,  some  300  men,  guarded  the  level  ground  extending 
along  the  stream  from  near  Mitchell's  ford  to  the  Stone  bridge, 
ready  for  employment  as  might  be  required,  and  during  the 
day  his  impetuous  spirit  was  permitted  to  have  full  vent.  A 
dashing  charge  was  made  by  him  upon  a  regiment  of  Fire 
Zouaves,  scattering  them  and  riding  them  down  against  all  op 
position  ;  and  readers  at  all  acquainted  with  the  history  of  this 
battle,  may  remember  how  his  daring  horsemen  startled  the 
Federals  in  front  of  them,  as  they  came,  like  a  whirlwind, 
rushing  forward.  But,  it  was  still  more  so  in  the  disastrous 
panic  that  ensued  among  the  Federal  troops  on  the  termination 
of  the  battle.  Like  the  Black  Hunstmen  of  the  German  forests 
in  other  times,  or  the  wild  horsemen  of  the  Wolga,  Stuart, 
with  his  men,  dashed  after  the  terror-stricken  enemy.  Over 


360  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

the  Stone  bridge — across  the  fords— up  the  road — in  and  out 
of  the  woods  where  a  passage  could  be  found  ;  on,  on,  slaugh 
tering  and  cutting  down,  till  they  arrived  near  Centreville,  did 
the  Confederate  cavalry  pursue  their  way.  But  the  rout  was 
soon  over.  The  foe  had  gone;  hundreds  of  prisoners  had  been 
taken  ;  many  more  human  beings  had  been  killed,  and  the 
victory  was  completely  won. 

In  the  official  report  of  Beauregard,  he  thus  mentions 
Stuart : 

"  Colonel  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  likewise  deserves  mention  for  his 
enterprise  and  ability  as  a  cavalry  commander.  Through  his 
judicious  reconnoissance  of  the  country,  on  our  left  flank,  he 
acquired  information,  both  of  topographical  features,  and  the 
positions  of  the  enemy,  of  the  utmost  importance  in  the  subse 
quent  and  closing  movements  of  the  day  on  that  flank,  and 
his  services  in  the  pursuit  were  highly  effective." 

Fairfax  Court-house  was  occupied  by  Colonel  Stuart  the 
next  day,  and  shortly  afterwards  he  received  a  letter  from 
Colonel  McCunn,  of  the  Federal  army,  on  the  subject  of  Colonel 
Cameron's  body,  left  on  the  battlefield.  This  letter  spoke  in 
appealing  terms  on  behalf  of  Cameron's  wife  and  family,  and 
alluded  to  Stuart's  "  kindness  of  heart,  and  high  soldierly 
qualities ;"  but,  of  course,  he  could  do  no  other  than  refer  it  to 
his  commanding  general,  though  he  sent  back  a  courteous 
reply. 

A  few  weeks  later,  September  llth,  Colonel  Stuart  success 
fully  attacked  and  routed  a  party  of  Federals  at  Lewinsville, 
some  six  or  seven  miles  from  Washington.  The  affair  was  of 
no  great  importance,  but  it  was  the  means  of  his  being  promo 
ted  to  a  brigadier-generalship,  and  this  gave  him  more  oppor 
tunity  for  the  performance  of  several  daring  exploits.  They 
are,  however,  so  varied  and  numerous  throughout  his  truly 
brilliant  career,  that  we  can  only  refer  to  minor  ones,  and  give 
a  little  more  space  to  those  of  most  importance. 

In  the  month  of  December,  there  was  a  flght  between 
General  Stuart's  forces  and  the  Federal  troops  at  Dranesville, 
Ya.,  in  which  the  Confederates  were  defeated.  Then  followed 
a  period  of  mere  skirmishing,  occasionally,  between  the  de 
tached  parties  of  both  armies  ;  and,  finally,  in  March,  the  Con 
federate  forces  moved  southward  to  meet  McClellan  on  the 


MAJOR- GENERAL   JAMES  E.  B.  STUAET.  361 

Peninsula.  The  evacuation  of  Yorktown  took  place  in  the 
beginning  of  May,  1862,  and  the  battle  of  Williamsburg  occur 
red  on  the  4th.  Here,  as  we  have  seen,  General  Stuart  com 
manded  the  cavalry  rear  guard,  and  proved  of  great  service  in 
the  after  movements  of  the  army  on  its  way  to  Richmond. 

But  the  affair  which,  more  than  anything  else,  first  made  his 
name  so  famous,  was  the  bold  reconnoissance  conducted  by 
him,  through  and  around  McClellan's  army,  in  the  middle  part 
of  June.  This  exploit  borders  so  much  upon  the  romantic,  in 
its  dash  and  gallant  character,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
compress  it  into  a  few  lines  of  sober  truth.  It  was  one  of 
those  achievements  that  make  men's  blood  warm  up,  even  at 
the  mure  recital  of  it,  more  especially  so  to  those  who  were 
participators  in  the  stirring  scene.  With  a  force  of  1,200 
cavalry,  and  a  section  of  the  Stuart  horse-artillery — having 
Colonel  Fitz  Lee,  Colonel  W.  II.  Fitzhugh  Lee,  Colonel  W.  T. 
Martin,  and  Lieutenant  J.  Breathed  accompanying  him  in 
com  in  and — he  first  quietly  rendezvoused  beyond  the  Chicka- 
hotniny,  near  Kilby's  station  on  the  Northern  railroad,  and 
then,  without  any  one  else  knowing  where  they  were 
bound,  moved  along  the  left  of  that  road,  scouts  on  the  right, 
vedettes  in  advance,  guards  in  the  rear,  and  every  precaution 
against  surprise,  or  allowing  the  enemy  to  conceive  their  in 
tention.  Twenty-two  miles  of  ground  from  Richmond  did  the 
bold  raiders  cover  that  day,  and  then  silently  bivouacked  in  the 
woods,  near  the  South  Anna  bridge.  A  few  hours'  rest,  and 
again,  at  sunrise,  without  flag  or  bugle-sound,  they  remount, 
and,  turning  sharply  to  the  southeast,  dash  along  the  roads 
towards  Old  Church.  This  was  held  by  the  enemy;  but 
Colonel  Fitz  Lee  quickly  made  a  detour,  got  behind  their 
force,  and  induced  them,  under  a  false  idea  of  numbers,  to 
move  rapidly  away.  Cleared  from  this,  on  went  the  horse 
men  to  Howe's  store,  hastily  captured  some  Federals  stationed 
there,  pushed  forward  to  the  Tolopotamy,  crossed  it  without 
delay,  and  then,  with  Lieutenant  Robins  in  the  advance, 
skirted  fields,  leaped  fences  and  ditches,  rushed  through  woods, 
and  suddenly  came  upon  a  party  of  the  enemy's  dragoons,  re 
inforced,  near  Old  Church.  Instantly  sabres  were  drawn ; 
two  squadrons  went  ahead  at  a  gallop  ;  a  hand-to-hand  con 
flict  ensued  ;  the  Federals  were  quickly  routed,  though  at  a 


362  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

cost  to  the  Confederates  of  the  brave  Captain  Latvme,— and 
away  went  Stuart  and  his  men  as  briskly  as  ever.  Then  went 
forward  Colonel  Fitz  Lee,  burning  to  have  a  brush  with  the 
enemy,  now  again  collected  near  the  home  of  his  family.  The 
country  people  cheered  him  on  ;  they  gave  him  information  : 
"Hurry  on,  boys  ;  hurry  on  ;  they're  only  a  mile  ahead,"  said 
one.  "  Four  of  them  are  prisoners  here  in  the  house,"  said 
another — a  young  girl  with  a  gun  in'her  hand.  "  Go  in,  boys; 
go  into  them,"  said  a  third  ;  and  thus  it  was  the  whole  way. 
At  the  White  House,  Lee's  squadron  charged  the  foe;  he 
dashed  into  their  camp,  took  possession  of  horses,  arms,  stores 
of  every  kind  which  they  burnt,  captured  prisoners,  looked 
around  for  more,  then  halted  for  the  rest  of  the  band  to  join 
them.  Now  came  the  limits  of  their  raid.  Turn  they  must, 
and  turn  they  did,  but,  not  back  by  the  way  they  came.  No; 
they  would  try  to  pierce  the  enemy's  lines,  swim  the  Chicka- 
liominy,  if  need  be,  and  so  make  the  complete  circuit  back  to 
their  own  camp.  Briefly,  Stuart  mentioned  this  to  his  officers. 
Cheerfully  they  agreed  ;  and  then,  once  more,  at  a  gallop 
along  the  road,  now  towards  Tunstall  station,  did  the  daring 
horsemen  go.  Did  they  heed  the  danger  ?  Did  a  man  hesi 
tate  or  complain?  No;  in  good  truth,  not  so.  The  gallant 
Stuart  led  them  on  ;  it  was  enough  !  Sublime  in  unshaken 
trust  and  confidence,  the  brave  rank  and  file,  not  once  nor  for 
a  moment  faltered,  though  a  huge  army  of  well-trained  sol 
diers  and  skilful  officers,  under  McClellan  himself,  was  before 
them!  Seemingly  straight  into  the  very  jaws  of  the  enemy, 
this  heroic  band  dashed  forward.  But  now  the  foe  has  be 
come  alarmed  ;  still  greater  caution  is  needed  ;  Colonel  Martin 
is  placed  to  guard  the  rear,  but,  instead  of  being  attacked,  a 
small  outpost  party  voluntarily  surrendered  to  him.  On  and 
on,  however,  Stuart  and  his  followers  urge  their  way.  Tun- 
stall's  station  is  reached  ;  telegraph  wires  cut ;  the  depot 
secured  ;  five  companies  of  cavalry  escorting  wagon  trains, 
fly,  and  leave  the  stores  ;  an  infantry  guard  is  captured  ;  de 
struction  of  the  railroad  is  begun,  when,  lo !  a  heavy  train  of 
cars  with  troops  aboard,  comes  thundering  down  from  the 
Federal  army  !  It  is  attacked,  but  the  obstructions  on  the 
track  are  insufficient.  Some  loss,  the  troops  in  that  train  re 
ceive,  and  away  it  rushed  to  the  Pamunkey  depot.  Night 


MAJOR-GENERAL    JAMES    E.    B.  STUART.  363 

now  comes  on  ;  the  burning  stores  illume  the  country  around; 
the  work  is  clone  ;  and  once  more  Stuart  and  his  brave  com 
mand  gallop  forward.  Moonlight  helps  them  ;  but  after  a 
time  they  halt  to  close  up  their  column.  Then  again  at  mid 
night  the  inarch  is  resumed.  Day  dawns  :  the  Chickahominy 
is  reached  ;  the  stream  is  found  nnfordable ;  axes  are  used, 
trees  felled  ;  a  foot-bridge  improvised  under  Lieutenant  Red 
mond  Burke's  skilful  hands ;  a  friendly  voice  from  some 
stranger  gives  good  information  ;  an  old  bridge  is  mended,  and 
cavalry,  artillery,  horses  and  men  cross  rapidly,  and  then, 
another  dash  along  the  Charles  City  road,  and  a  mile  or  two 
more  brings  them  near  their  main  encampment.  Faint, 
famished,  worn  out,  utterly  exhausted,  the  enemy  now  in  full 
pursuit,  this  gallant  band  arrives  within  the  Confederate  lines, 
and  draw  rein,  almost  for  the  first  time,  except  as  mentioned, 
for  more  than  sixty  hours. 

We  may  now  only  add  that  for  this  daring  achievment 
Stuart  was  promoted  to  be  a  major-general  of  cavalry,  and 
none  of  his  officers  or  men  failed  to  receive  reward.  The 
damage  to  the  enemy  was  great,  and  perhaps  more  through 
the  circumstance  itself,  than  on  account  of  stores  and  prop 
erty  destroyed. 

A  few  days  afterwards,  General  Stuart  rode  from  camp  into 
town,  and  was  paying  his  respects  to  the  authorities  in  a  quiet 
way,  at  the  executive  mansion,  when,  as  it  became  known  to 
the  large  crowd  of  strollers  in  the  Capitol  square,  that  he  was 
near  by,  the  building  was  immediately  surrounded  by  an  en 
thusiastic  multitude  vociferating  for  Stuart.  The  gallant 
general  in  a  few  minutes  made  his  appearance  upon  the  por 
tico  and  acknowledged  the  compliment  paid  him  in  a  few 
remarks  full  of  spirit  and  good  cheer.  Among  other  things 
he  said  he  had  been  to  the  Chickahominy  to  visit  some  of  his 
old  friends  of  the  United  States  army,  but  they,  very  uncivilly, 
turned  their  backs  upon  him.  Seeing  a  manifest  desire  on  the 
part  of  the  people  to  make  for  him  an  ovation,  the  general 
then  mounted  his  charger  and  galloped  off  amid  the  shouts  of 
the  crowd,  which,  by  this  time,  had  increased  to  more  than  a 
thousand  persons. 

The  preceding  illustration  of  one  of  Stuart's  exploits  will 
serve  in  a  measure  for  the  whole.  After  the  same  fashion  did 


364  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

he  and  his  men  traverse  the  whole  region  of  the  principal 
battlefields  of  Virginia,  except  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and, 
could  we  find  space,  many  a  stirring  incident  might  be  re 
lated. 

At  the  time  "  Stonewall "  Jackson  was  marching  towards 
Pope's  army,  General  Stuart  arrived  on  a  tour  of  inspection. 
He  took  command  of  the  cavalry,  and  proceeded  to  recon 
noitre,  rendering  most  important  service.  After  the  battle  of 
Cedar  Run,  during  the  short  truce  which  followed  for  burying 
the  dead,  many  officers  of  both  armies  met  and  conversed  upon 
the  field.  Stuart  was  among  them,  and  it  was  then  that  the 
following  interesting  incident  occurred,  as  related  by  an  eye 
witness : 

"  On  a  fallen  gum-tree — the  slain  stretched  around  them— 
sat  the  officers  of  the  parley ;  upon  one  side  the  Confederate 
cavalry  leader,  Stuart,  and  General  Early  ;  upon  the  other, 
Generals  Ilartsuff  and  Roberts.  Stuart  was  lithe,  gray-eyed, 
and  tall ;  of  an  intense  countenance,  nervous,  impulsive  man 
ner  ;  and  clad  in  gray,  with  a  soft  black  hat.  He  wore, 
curiously  enough,  United  States  buttons,  and  his  sword,  which 
he  exhibited,  was  made  in  Philadelphia.  Early  wras  a  quiet, 
severe  North  Carolinian,  who  wore  a  home-spun  civil  suit, 
with  a  brigadier's  star  on  his  shoulder-bar.  General  Ilartsuff 
was  burly  and  good-humored ;  Roberts  silent  and  sage,  with 
white  beard  and  distrustful  eye.  The  former  had  been  a  class 
mate  of  the  cavalry  man,  and  he  said,  '  Stuart,  old  boy,  how 
dje  do?'  'God  bless  my  soul,  Hartsuif,' replied  the  other, 
'  it  warms  my  heart  to  see  you ! '  and  they  took  a  turn  together, 
arm  in  arm." 

Shortly  afterwards,  Stuart,  at  the  head  of  his  cavalry,  made 
another  of  those  bold  dashes,  which  so  characterized  him. 
General  Pope  then  had  his  headquarters  at  Catlett's  station, 
and,  on  a  sudden,  one  night  in  the  midst  of  a  storm,  Stuart  got 
in  the  enemy's  rear,  and  rushed  upon  Pope's  quarters.  That 
general  escaped  just  in  time,  but  with  the  loss  of  his  coat 
and  hat,  besides  many  important  documents,  plans,  maps,  esti 
mates,  and  returns  of  forces.  In  addition,  there  was  much 
clothing  found,  including  new  full-dress  suits  for  General  Pope 
and  his  staff,  also  a  quantity  of  private  baggage,  wines,  liquors, 
etc.  Some  of  the  Union  rifles  had  been  stationed  near  the 


MAJOR  GENERAL    JAMES    E.    B.    STUART.  365 

headquarters,  but  they  were  quickly  dispersed,  and  when 
Stuart's  daring  horsemen  found  that  General  Pope  had  es 
caped,  they  were  so  vexed  that,  instantly  dividing  into  small 
parties,  they  galloped  down  every  road  with  the  hope  of  over 
taking  him,  but  in  vain. 

In  the  succeeding  movements  of  the  Confederate  army,  Gen 
eral  Stuart  was  constantly  engaged  with  a  perfect  net-work  of 
scouting  parties,  and  a  cordon  of  pickets  between  Pope  and 
Jackson.  At  Bristoe  station  he  attacked  a  train  of  the  enemy, 
and  afterwards  dashed  upon  Manassas,  capturing  a  battery  of 
New  York  artillery,  and  destroying  an  immense  quantity  of 
stores  deposited  there.  He  then  galloped  on  to  meet,  and,  if 
need  be,  assist  Longstreet  at  Thoroughfare  gap,  capturing  a  par 
ty  of  Federals  on  the  way,  and  engaging  the  Federal  cavalry. 
Hearing  the  sound  of  a  battle  at  or  near  Stone  bridge,  on  Au 
gust  29th,  he  hastily  returned,  and  gallantly  shared  in  the  en 
gagement  going  on  ;  as  also  in  the  great  fight  of  the  next  day. 
But  hardly  had  the  smoke  of  that  second  Bull  Run  victory  to 
the  South  died  away,  than  Stuart  was  off  with  his  cavalry  into 
Maryland — swimming  fords  —  dashing  through  woods  and 
fields — fighting  where  they  could  find  an  enemy — peaceably 
moving  where  there  was  a  friend  or  non-combatant.  The  in 
vasion  of  that  State,  and  the  events  that  occurred  havre  already 
been  told  ;  but  the  following  incident  may  be  related. 

On  the  retreat,  a  few  of  Stuart's  cavalry  were,  on  the  morn 
ing  of  September  12th,  at  Frederick  ready  to  depart.  Some 
recruits  had  joined  the  bold  legion  under  Stuart's  command, 
and  these  were  bidding  tender  adieus  to  some  loved  friends, 
when  up  rode  a  few  squadrons  of  Federal  cavalry,  commanded 
by  a  Dutch  major,  with  immense  moustache.  Halting  before 
the  city  hall,  he  exclaimed,  "  Yere  ish  de  Got  tarn  repels? 
Yere  ish  de  Got  fur-tarn  Stuart — vere  ish  he  mit  his  cavalrie? 
Let  me  shee  him,  nnt  I  show  him  some  tings !  "  A  lady  pres 
ent,  told  him  that  a  few  of  Fitzhugh  Lee's  cavalry  had  just 
left.  "  Goot !  young  voomans,"  said  Meinheer,  and  immedi 
ately  started  in  pursuit,  saying,  "  Ye  show  de  repels  some 
tings."  The  major  and  his  command  had  fairly  got  into  the 
main  street,  when  a  company  of  Confederate  cavalry  met 
them,  and  both  parties  rushed  together  in  strife.  The  upshot 
was,  that  the  major's  command  was  routed,  and  he  himself, 


306  SOUTHERN    GKNKRALS. 

shortly  afterwards,  pulled  out  of  a  cottage  with  a  table-cloth 
bound  round  a  slight  wound  in  his  head,  and  sent  to  the  Con 
federate  rear  as  a  prisoner. 

The  retreat  of  the  Confederate  army  into  Virginia  kept 
Stuart's  force  ever  actively  employed,  and  when  other  troops 
rested  he  found  work  elsewhere.  After  a  sharp  affair  at  Shep- 
erdstown  with  the  Federal  cavalry,  he  again  started,  on  Oc 
tober  10th,  upon  another  daring  raid.  While  the  North  were 
congratulating  themselves  that  all  the  "  rebels "  had  been 
driven  away,  General  Stuart,  with  a  force  of  some  1,300  troop 
ers,  under  Hampton,  W.  H.  F.  Lee,  and  Jones,  suddenly  ap 
peared  before  Chambersburg,  in  Pennsylvania,  "  took  posses 
sion  of  the  town,  captured  and  destroyed  much  public  property, 
mounted  themselves  anew  on  good  horses,  passed  around  the 
entire  Federal  army,  and  safely  returned  to  their  own  camp,  in 
Virginia,  to  recount  their  triumphs,  without  loss,  or  more  than 
a  few  wounds  received  in  skirmishes."* 

Two  or  three  skirmishes  and  minor  engagements  followed, 
between  Stuart's  cavalry  and  the  enemy's  under  Pleasanton 
and  others,  but  we  must  pass  them  over  with  this  mere  allu 
sion  to  them.  Nothing  that  could  be  said  in  a  brief  space 
would  do  full  justice  to  these  rapid  and  remarkable  exploits  of 
Stuart,  Hampton,  the  two  Lees,  and  the  brave  officers  and  men 
under  their  command. 

At  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  in  the  following  December, 
Stuart  was  on  the  right  of  Jackson's  corps,  and  directed  the 
batteries,  fighting  them  with  unyielding  obstinacy,  himself 
being  everywhere  in  the  thickest  of  the  light — "  the  target  of 
artillery  and  sharpshooters  alike."  His  horse-artillery — includ 
ing  Captain  Henry's,  and  the  lamented  heroic  Pelham's — made 
sad  havoc  with  Franklin's  left  flank ;  and  "  well  did  Stuart  re 
deem  his  grim  dispatch — that  he  was  '  going  to  crowd  them 
with  artillery.'  The  ceremony  was  too  rough  for  them  to 
stand,  and  when  the  voice  of  the  general,  in  the  darkness, 
ordered  the  last  advance,  the  combat  had  terminated  in  the 
silence  of  the  foe." 

The  battle  of  Fredericksburg  was  wholly  concluded  on  De 
cember  15th,  1802,  and  immediately  afterwards,  away  went 

*  Northern  accounts,  and  see  Stuart's  official  report. 


MAJOR-GENERAL    JAMES    E.    B.    STUART.  367 

Stuart  and  his  men  again,  dashing  about  the  country  wherever 
an  enemy  was  found.  The  scare  occasioned  in  the  North  at 
this  time,  by  his  bold  raids,  is  well  remembered ;  but  the  fol 
lowing  summary  of  what  was  done  will  be  enough  description. 
Starting  suddenly  to  the  northward,  around  the  Federal  army, 
he  alarmed  the  whole  district  between  Manassas  and  Washing 
ton  by  his  rapid  and  successive  attacks,  and  the  captures  he 
made.  A  large  force,  in  parties,  was  sent  in  vain  to  catch 
him  ;  but  he  was  too  sharp  and  keen  for  his  pursuers.  His  ob 
ject  was  to  gain  information  of  the  position  and  movements  of 
the  enemy,  and  the  results  were  considered  very  important. 
The  only  thins;  to  be  regretted  was  the  loss  of  Captain  John. 

«>  ^>  O  L 

W.  Bullock,  of  the  Fifth  cavalry,  one  of  the  best  and  bravest 
officers  in  the  service.  He  was  wounded  at  Dumfries,  while  in 
command  of  the  sharpshooters  and  gallantly  charging  a  regi 
ment  of  Federal  infantry.  While  his  friends  were  bearing  him 
from  the  h'eld  he  was  again  hit  in  two  places  and  mortally 
wounded. 

After  scattering  the  enemy  at  Dumfries,  General  Stuart 
went  on  to  the  Occoquan  ;  but  word  having  been  sent  out  of 
his  approach,  he  found  all  the  fords  guarded.  He  determined, 
however,  to  cross  at  Selectmen's  ford,  in  the  face  of  the  enemy. 
The  advance  was  led  by  Colonel  T.  L.  Rosser,  of  the  Fifth 
cavalry,  who  dashed  into  the  stream,  followed  by  Colonel 
Drake,  of  the  First,  and  some  fifteen  or  twrenty  men.  The 
enemy  had  dismounted,  and  were  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle. 
Colonel  Rosser,  placing  himself  at  the  head  of  the  few  men 
near  him,  led  the  charge  up  in  the  face  of  a  heavy  fire,  by  file, 
over  a  narrow  and  rocky  ford.  The  Federals  broke  and  were 
pursued,  several  being  captured.  General  Stuart  said  he  re 
garded  this  as  the  most  gallant  thing  done  by  the  cavalry  since 
the  ivar  commenced.  Colonel  Rosser  afterwards  charged  into 
their  camp  and  captured  nine  sutler  wagons,  loaded  with  the 
best  of  liquor,  clothing,  boots,  and  luxuries  of  various  kinds, 
and  burned  their  tents  and  army  stores. 

General  Stuart  then  went  towards  Aldie,  accomplishing  many 
of  his  characteristic  feats.  At  Aldie,  Colonel  Rosser  was  sent 
on  a  scout  into  the  valley  of  Virginia  to  ascertain  the  state  of 
things  there.  Taking  with  him  only  fifteen  men,  he  succeeded 
in  going  around  the  most  of  Milroy's  army,  and  passed  nearly 


368  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

ninety  miles  in  front  of  General  Jones.  Although  the  country 
was  full  of  bands  trying  to  capture  him,  Colonel  Rosser  eluded 
them  all,  and  after  remaining  inside  of  the  enemy's  lines  as 
long  as  he  pleased,  started  to  return.  At  the  Shenandoah  he 
encountered  the  pickets  of  the  enemy  posted  to  catch  him,  but 
by  a  peculiar  stratagem  he  captured  them  all,  passed  by  their 
army  at  night,  and  returned  safely  to  camp,  bringing  along 
with  him  all  the  Federal  sentinels  on  the  route. 

This  hurried  sketch  of  what  was  done,  would  be  incomplete 
if  we  did  not  mention  that  at  one  place  be  captured  a  tele 
graph  station,  and  set  the  wires  to  work  to  deceive  the  enemy. 
The  following  letter  from  him  refers  to  it. 

HEADQUARTERS,  Jan.  G,  18G3. 
DR.  W.  S.  MORRIS,  President  Southern  Telegraph  Company,  Richmond. 

SIR — I  have  the  honor  to  send,  through  the  courtesy  of 
Major  John  Pelharn,  my  chief  of  artillery,  an  instrument  cap 
tured  at  Burke's  station,  Ohio  and  Alexandria  railroad,  dining 
my  late  expedition.  I  beg  that  you  will  accept  it  as  a  token 
of  regard  appropriate  to  your  position.  We  surprised  the  op 
erator,  and  my  operator,  Shepperd,  took  his  place.  I  sat  in 
the  office  some  time  while  Shepperd  read  the  wild  alarms 
flashing  over  the  wires  about  our  operations,  and  ascertained 
the  steps  taken  and  the  means  at  hand  of  resisting  me,  and 
then  shaped  my  course  accordingly. 

Very  respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  E.  B.  STUART, 
Major-general  of  Cavalry. 

Later  in  the  month  of  January,  a  detachment  of  Stuart's 
cavalry  drove  in  the  Federal  pickets  at  Chantilly,  hut  Colonel 
Wyndharn  afterwards  routed  them,  and  took  prisoner,  among 
others,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Landstreet,  chaplain  to  General  Stuart's 
force.  But  we  must  now  again  pass  on.  In  the  history  of 
the  war,  yet  to  be  written  by  some  impartial  pen,  many  pages 
will  have  to  be  filled  with  exploits  of  the  cavalry  on  both  sides, 
and  it  needs  a  volume  by  itself  to  give,  in  any  sort  of  detail, 
those  performed  by  Stuart  and  his  companions.  Speaking  of 
the  Southern  Generals,  an  able  writer  says,  "Each  has  his 
warm  admirers,  gained  by  such  opportunities  of  intercourse  as 


MAJOR-GENERAL    JAMES    E.  B.   STUART.  3G9 

have  brought  individuals  within  the  said  general's  orbit.  Each 
has  attached  to  him  the  prestige  of  entire  absence  of  failure. 
II  n'y  a  rien  qui  reussit  autaut  que  le  succes. 

"  But  while  in  the  Shenandoah  valley  the  achievements  of 
General  Jackson  aroused  towards  him  a  generous  feeling  of 
gratitude  for  danger  averted  and  prosperity  preserved,  it  is 
doubtful  whether  east  of  the  Blue  Ridge  the  twenty-nine  years 
of  General  Stuart,  added  to  that  indefatigable  energy  which 
teaches  him,  after  he  has  ridden  fifty  miles  during  the  day,  to 
regard  it  as  his  highest  happiness  to  ride  a  dozen  more  miles 
at  night  '  to  tread  but  one  measure'  in  a  Virginian  country 
house,  do  not  incline  the  scale,  especially  if  the  balance  be  ad 
justed  by  fair  hands,  in  favor  of  the  younger  general.  There 
have  been  many  English  officers,  particularly  in  the  East 
Indian  service,  whose  endurance  in  the  saddle  has  been  re 
garded  as  unequalled  ;  but  I  doubt  whether  any  Englishman 
ever  exhibited  such  superiority  to  bodily  fatigue  as  is  almost 
nightly  evinced  by  the  gay  cavalier  who  knows  every  hospita 
ble  roof  within  a  dozen  miles  of  his  headquarters  (and  wrhat 
roof  is  not  hospitable  ?)  and,  accompanied  by  his  banjo  player, 
visits  them  by  turns,  night  after  night,  returning  usually  to  his 
hard-earned  rest  lonw  after  the  midnight  hour  has  flown. 

O  C* 

With  the  earliest  dawn  of  morning,  the  first  voice,  calling 
gaily  for  breakfast,  is  that  of  the  midnight  merrymaker,  who 
rises  the  picture  of  health,  good  humor,  and  strength.  It  ma}^ 
be  noticed  en  passant  that  to  the  circumstance  that  he  has 
never  touched  tobacco  in  any  form,  or  any  wine,  or  other 
liquor,  General  Stuart  attributes  much  of  his  health  and  vigor. 
Certainly  so  jovial  and  merry  a  company  as  is  assembled  at 
General  Stuart's  headquarters  it  has  never  been  my  fortune  to 
see  here." 

Another  account  speaks  of  Stuart  as  being  of  a  "free,  socia 
ble,  agreeable,  and  lively  turn  of  mind,"  arid  as  "a  gentleman 
of  high-toned  accomplishments,  and  rare  genius ;"  "  of  more 
than  ordinary  size,  very  handsome,  fair  complexion,  with 
bright  beaming  eyes,  quick  perception  and  deep  expression." 
He  had  with  him,  on  his  staff,  "  several  odd  and  fantastic 
characters.  His  cook  was  a  Frenchman  from  one  of  the  Cafe 
houses  in  Paris,  a  ventriloquist  and  comical  genius ;  the  prin 
cipal  business  man  in  his  office  was  a  Prussian,  a  man  of  dis- 

24 


370  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

tinction,  education  and  wit;  and  in  the  musical  department  he 
had  Sweeny,  Jr.,  son  of  old  Joe." 

In  the  month  of  April,  1863,  General  Stuart  was  in  com 
mand  of  the  forces,  respectively  under  Fitz  Lee,  and  W.  II.  F. 
Lee,  that  successfully  resisted  the  enemy's  attempt  to  establish 
himself  on  the  south  side  of  the  liappahannock.  On  the  29th 
he  reported  to  General  Lee  the  movements  of  Hooker's  army, 
and  this  enabled  the  Confederates  to  prepare  for  the  coming 
battle. 

Stuart  did  all  he  could  to  impede  the  enemy,  and  was 
ably  seconded  by  the  Lees.  He  crossed  the  Rapidan,  hung 
upon  Hooker's  flanks,  attacked  his  right  at  the  Wilderness 
tavern,  then  marched  by  Todd's  tavern  to  Spottsylvania  Court 
house,  to  put  himself  in  communication  with  the  main  army. 
In  the  movement  of  Jackson  to  the  Wilderness,  he  was  effect 
ually  covered  by  Fitz  Lee's  cavalry,  commanded  by  General 
Stuart  in  person. 

At  dark,  finding  nothing  else  for  him,  as  a  cavalry  leader, 
to  do,  he  proposed  to  Jackson  that  the  road  to  Ely's  ford,  in 
rear  of  the  enemy,  should  be  seized.  Jackson  approving,  he 
went  forward  to  this  task,  and  had  gained  the  heights  when  a 
messenger  came  with  news  of  both  Jackson  and  A.  P.  Hill 
being  wounded,  and  urging  him  to  come  back  and  take  com 
mand.  He  did  so,  and  next  morning  vigorously  pushed  for 
ward  the  corps  now  under  his  orders.  The  result  is  known  ; 
and  we  need  only  add  to  what  we  have  before  said,  that  he 
wras  very  highly  complimented  in  General  Lee's  official  report, 
for  "  the  energy,  promptness,  distinguished  capacity,  and  vigor, 
added  to  his  own  personal  example  of  coolness,  and  daring 
displayed." 

In  the  grand  movement  of  the  Confederate  army  towards 
Pennsylvania,  that  followed  upon  the  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville,  General  Stuart  concentrated  his  forces  at  Culpepper,  on 
the  8th  of  June,  and  next  day  was  attacked  by  the  enemy's 
cavalry  and  some  infantry,  at  Brandy  station.  General  Fitz 
Hugh  Lee  commanded  the  Confederates,  and  Generals  Buford 
and  Gregg  the  Federals.  The  battle  commenced  at  5  A.  M., 
and  lasted  till  3  P.  M.,  both  parties  fighting  almost  entirely 
with  sabres.  The  result  was  claimed  as  a  victory  on  both 
sides,  but  the  enemy  had  to  recross  the  Kappahannock,  and 


MAJOR-GENERAL    JAMES    E.  B.  STUART.  371 

leave  several  prisoners,  with  some  artillery,  and  colors  in  the 
hands  of  Stuart's  command. 

Of  the  march  to  Pennsylvania,  and  the  succeeding  campaign, 
with  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  we  have  already  given  an  ac 
count.  General  Stuart  had  his  full  share  of  that  peril  and  ad 
venture  for  which  his  temperament  was  so  well  adapted.  As 
an  eye  witness  well  observes,  "He  roamed  over  the  country 
almost  at  his  own  discretion,  and  always  giving  a  good  account 
of  himself,  turning  up  at  the  right  moment,  and  never  getting 
himself  into  any  serious  trouble." 

The  subsequent  operations  of  General  Stuart  were  now 
mostly  those  connected  with  the  main  army,  as  related  in  our 
sketch  of  General  Lee.  The  flank  movement  of  the  Confeder 
ates,  in  October,  gave  Stuart  ample  work  to  perform  ;  and,  in 
December  another  raid  was  successfully  undertaken  upon  the 
Orange  and  Alexandria  railroad. 

In  the  month  of  January,  1864,  General  Stuart  was  again  at 
work  on  the  Potomac,  about  Leesburg,  and  the  Point  of 
Rocks;  and,  with  occasional  visits  to  Kichmond  and  his 
family,  thus  fully  occupied  his  time. 

On  the  28th  of  February,  he  was  encamped  at  Orange 
Court-house,  and  sent  to  Richmond  a  highly  complimentary 
report  of  Colonel  Mosby's  daring  exploit  near  Drainesville  ; 
and,  in  the  early  part  of  March  occurred  the  affair  already 
mentioned,  between  the  Federals  under  General  Custer,  and 
the  Confederate  cavalry  near  Rio  Mills. 

The  spring  campaign  then  followed ;  the  battle  of  the  Wil 
derness  had  been  fought,  and,  at  last,  the  day  came  when  the 
bold  cavalry  chief — the  dashing  raider — the  kind  and  genial 
companion,  as  w-ell  as  the  skilful  soldier — General  Stuart — 
would  be  no  more. 

General  Sheridan,  of  the  Federal  cavalry,  had  made  a  bold 
dash  around  Lee's  flank,  towards  Richmond,  and  a  portion  of 
his  command,  under  Generals  Custer  and  Merrill,  arrived  at 
Ashland  station,  on  the  10th  of  May,  just  before  Stuart  with 
his  force  reached  there  after  them.  The  next  day  they  were 
followed  to  a  place  called  Yellow-tavern,  where  an  engage 
ment  took  place.  Here,  in  a  desperate  charge,  at  the  head  of 
a  column,  the  gallant  Stuart  fell,  terribly  wounded.  He  was 
immediately  taken  to  Richmond,  and  every  effort  made  to 


372  SOUTHERN    GEXEKALS. 

save  his  life,  but  in  vain.  On  the  llth  he  died,  and  the  fol 
lowing  account  of  his  last  moments,  as  related  by  those  around 
him,  may  be  interesting: 

"  About  noon,  President  Davis  visited  his  bedside  and  spent 
some  time  with  the  dying  chief.  In  reply  to  the  question  put 
by  the  President,  "  General,  how  do  you  feel?"  he  replied, 
"Easy,  but  willing  to  die,  if  God  and  my  country  think  I 
have  fulfilled  my  destiny,  and  done  my  duty. 

"  During  the  day,  occasional  delirium  attacked  him,  and,  in 
his  moments  of  mental  wandering,  his  faculties  were  busy 
with  the  past.  His  campaigns  on  the  Peninsula,  his  raid  into 
Pennsylvania,  his  doings  on  the  Rapidan,  and  his  several  en 
gagements,  were  subjects  that  quickly  chased  themselves 
through  his  brain.  Fresh  orders  were  given  as  if  still  on  the 
battlefield  and  injunctions  to  his  couriers  to  "make  haste." 
Then  he  would  wander  to  his  wife  and  children,  one  of  whom, 
his  eldest  boy,  had  died  a  year  previous,  while  fighting  on  the 
Rappahannock,  and  in  relation  to  whom  he  had  said,  when  re 
ceiving  a  telegram  that  the  boy  was  dying,  "  I  must  leave  my 
child  in  the  hands  of  God  ;  my  country  needs  me  here  ;  I  can 
not  come."  Then  his  mind  would  again  carry  him  on  to  the 
battlefield  ;  and  so  it  continued  throughout  the  day.  Occa 
sionally  his  intellect  was  clear,  and  he  was  then  calm  and 
resigned,  though  at  times  suffering  the  most  acute  agony.  He 
would  even,  with  his  own  hand,  apply  the  ice  that  was  in 
tended  to  relieve  the  pain  of  his  wound. 

"  As  evening  wore  on,  mortification  set  in  rapidly.  In  an 
swer  to  his  inquiry,  he  was  told  that  death  was  fast  approach 
ing.  He  then  said,  'I  am  resigned,  if  it  be  God's  will,  but  I 
would  like  to  see  my  wife.  But,  God's  will  be  done.'  Sev 
eral  times  he  roused  up,  and  asked  if  she  had  come.  Unfortu 
nately,  she  was  in  the  country  at  the  time,  and  did  not  arrive 
until  too  late. 

"As  the  last  moments  approached,  the  dying  man,  with  a 
mind  perfectly  clear  and  possessed,  then  made  a  disposition  of 
his  effects.  To  Mrs.  General  R.  E.  Lee,  he  directed  that  the 
golden  spurs  be  given  as  a  dying  memento  of  his  love  and 
esteem  for  her  husband.  To  his  staff  officers  he  gave  his 
horses ;  and  other  mementoes  he  disposed  of  in  a  similar 
manner.  To  his  young  son,  he  left  his  sword.  He  then 


MAJOE-GENERAL   JAMES    E.  B.  STUART.  373 

turned  to  the  Reverend  Dr.  Peterkin,  of  the  Episcopal  church, 
of  which  he  was  a  strict  member,  and  asked  him  to  sing  the 
hymn  commencing  : 

Rock  of  ages  cleft  for  me, 
Let  me  hide  myself  in  thee. 

"In  this  he  joined  with  all  the  strength  of  voice  his  failing 
powers  permitted.  He  then  prayed  with  the  minister  and 
friends  around  him;  and,  with  the  words,  'I  am  going  fust 
now.  I  am  resigned  ;  God's  will  be  done,'  yielded  his  fleeting 
spirit  to  Him  who  gave  it." 

"The  funeral  of  this  much  lamented  and  brave  general  took 
place  on  the  13th,  at  five  o'clock,  from  St.  James's  church, 
corner  of  Marshall  and  Fifth  streets. 

"At  the  appointed  hour  the  cortege  appeared  in  front  of  the 
church,  and  the  metallic  coffin,  containing  the  remains  of  the 
noble  soldier,  whose  now  silent  voice  had  so  often  startled  the 
enemy  with  his  stirring  battlecry,  was  carried  down  the  cen 
tre  aisle  and  placed  before  the  altar.  Wreaths,  and  a  cross  of 
evergreen,  interwoven  with  delicate  lilies  of  the  valley,  laurel 
and  other  flowers  of  purest  white,  decked  the  coffin. 

"The  pallbearers  were  General  Bragg,  Major-general  Mc- 
Cown,  General  Chilton,  Brigadier-general  Law  ton,  Commo 
dore  Forrest,  Captain  Lee,  of  the  Navy,  and  General  George 
W.  Randolph,  formerly  Secretary  of  War. 

"  The  scene  was  sad  and  impressive.  President  Davis  sat 
near  the  front,  with  a  look  of  grief  upon  his  careworn  face ; 
his  cabinet  officers  were  gathered  around,  while  on  either  side 
were  the  senators  and  representatives  of  the  Confederate  Con 
gress.  Scattered  through  the  church  were  a  number  of  gen 
erals  and  other  officers  of  less  rank,  among  the  former,  General 
Ransom,  commanding  the  department  of  Richmond.  Hun 
dreds  of  sad  faces  witnessed  the  scene  ;  but  the  brave  Fitz  Lee 
and  other  war-wearied  and  war-worn  men,  whom  the  dead 
Stuart  had  so  often  led  where  the  red  battle  was  fiercest,  and 
who  would  have  given  their  lives  for  his,  were  away  in  the 
fight,  doubtless  striking  with  a  double  courage  as  they  thought 
of  their  fallen  general. 

"  The  short  service  was  read  by  Rev.  Dr.  Peterkin,  a  funeral 
anthem  sung,  and  the  remains  were  carried  out  and  placed  in 


371  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

the  hearse,  which  proceeded  to  Hollywood  Cemetery,  followed 
"by  a  long  train  of  carriages. 

"No  military  escort  accompanied  the  procession,  but  the 
hero  was  laid  in  his  last  resting-place  on  the  hillsides-while 
the  earth  trembled  with  the  roar  of  artillery  and  the  noise  of 
the  deadly  strife  of  armies — the  one  bent  upon  desecrating 
and  devastating  his  native  land,  and  the  other,  proudly  and 
defiantly  standing  in  the  path  and  invoking  the  blessing  of 
Heaven  upon  their  cause,  to  fight  in  better  cheer  for  the  mem 
ory  of  such  as  Stonewall  Jackson  and  J.  E.  B.  Stuart." 


GEN.  A  .  P .  H  I  L  L 


GENERAL  AMBROSE  POWELL  HILL. 


His  Birth  and  Education. — Joins  the  Confederate  Service. — Expedition  to  Romney. 
— Promoted. — Gallant  Services  around  Richmond. — Mechanicsville. — Cold  Harbor. — 
McCall. — Accompanies  Jackson  to  Mana.ssas. — Capture  of  Harper's  Ferry. — Antie- 
tatn.  —  Fredericksburg. — Chancellorsville.— Gettysburg. — Campaign  of  1864. — Con 
clusion. 

A  Xew  York  paper,  in  speaking  of  the  Confederate  leaders, 
says  :  "  In  all  the  battles  of  the  war  east  of  the  mountains  from 
Bull  Hun  to  Antietam  creek,  five  names  have  been  conspicu 
ous — Jackson,  Ewell,  Longstreet,  A.  P.  Hill,  and  D.  H.  Hill. 
All  these  men  commanded  brigades  or  divisions  at  the  first 
Bull  Run  contest.  In  all  the  tights  in  front  of  Washington, 
last  summer  and  fall,  in  all  the  terrible  conflicts  in  the  Penin 
sula,  and  before  Richmond,  in  the  recent  bloody  contests  with 
Pope  along  the  Rapidan,  and  around  Manassas,  and  in  the 
sanguinary  engagements  at  South  Mountain,  and  upon  the 
heights  that  overhang  Sharpsburg,  these  five  men  have  been 
the  leaders  of  the  Confederates — witli  the  single  exception,  that 
Ewell,  having  been  wounded  in  the  battle  near  Centreville, 
was  unable  to  take  part  in  those  of  Western  Maryland.  Many 
of  our  readers  have  no  doubt  often  inquired  who  are  these 
men,  and  whence  came  they  ?  Beyond  all  doubt,  they  are 
good  generals,  and  have  fought  in  a  manner  worthy  of  a  better 


Of  the  generals  here  named,  we  have  already  given  a  short 
eketch  of  three,  and  now  propose  to  furnish  an  account  of  the 
fourth. 


376  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

Ambrose  Powell  Hill  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  was  born 
about  the  year  1824,  in  the  county  of  Culpepper,  where  his 
father,  Major  Hill,  was,  for  many  years,  a  leading  politician, 
and  merchant.  In  the  year  18-43  he  entered  West  Point  as  a 
cadet,  and  graduated  on  the  3d  of  June,  1847,  in  the  same 
class  with  General  Burnside.  On  the  1st  of  July  he  was 
brevetted  second-lieutenant  of  the  First  Artillery  ;  and  on  the 
22d  of  August  wras  made  full  second-lieutenant.  On  the  4-th 
of  September,  1851,  he  was  promoted  first-lieutenant  of  the 
First  Artillery,  and  afterwards  to  a  captaincy.  In  November, 
1855,  he  was  appointed  an  assistant  on  the  United  States  Coast 
Survey.  On  the  1st  of  March,  1861,  he  resigned  his  position  in 
the  regular  army,  and  when  his  native  State  seceded,  received 
an  appointment  from  the  Governor,  as  Colonel  of  the  Thirteenth 
regiment  of  Virginia  Volunteers. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  war,  Colonel  A.  P.  Hill  was 
stationed  at  Harper's  Ferry,  with  the  Confederate  army  as 
sembled  there.  On  the  morning  of  the  13th  of  June,  General 
Johnston  having  received  information  from  Winchester,  that 
Komney  was  occupied  by  two  thousand  Federal  troops,  sup 
posed  to  be  the  van-guard  of  McClellan's  army,  dispatched 
Colonel  Hill  thither,  with  his  own  and  Colonel  Gibbon's 
(Tenth)  Virginia  regiments.  He  was  directed  to  take  the  best 
position,  and  adopt  the  best  measures  in  his  power  to  check 
the  advance  of  the  enemy.  But,  immediately  afterwards,  it 
was  ascertained,  that  McClellan  was  moving  southward  from 
Grafton,  and  therefore,  Colonel  Hill  was  withdrawn  from  Eom- 
ney,  leaving  Colonel  McDonald's  regiment  of  cavalry  to  de 
fend  that  region  of  country. 

At  the  battle  of  Manassas,  Colonel  Hill  arrived  with  his 
regiment,  among  those  of  General  Johnston's  command,  who 
had  been  detained  so  long  as  only  to  come  in  time  to  share  the 
last  portion  of  the  fight.  But  we  find  no  mention  of  his  name 
until,  as  a  Brigadier-general,  he  fought  at  Williamsburg  with 
such  spirit  and  determination  as  to  be  especially  noticed  on  the 
field.  He  was  then  made  a  Major-general  ;  and,  on  the  25th 
of  June,  1862,  formed  one  of  the  council-ofwar,  held  in  Rich 
mond,  at  which  were  present  Generals  Lee,  Jackson,  Long- 
street,  D.  H.  Hill,  Magruder,  and  others  of  high  note  in  the 
Confederate  army.  At  this  time  his  division  wras  on  the 


GENERAL    AMBROSE    POWELL    HILL.  377 

Meadow-bridge  road,  to  the  left  of  Longstreet,  who  was  on  the 
Mechanicsville  road,  close  to  the  river  Chickahominy.  Hill, 
by  this  position,  now  united  with,  and  became  the  right  of 
Jackson's  army  that  had  just  arrived. 

Xext  day  the  fight  began.  Hugging  the  north  bank  of  the 
river,  Ambrose  Hill  maintained  an  unbroken  line,  and  boldly 
held  his  position  against  the  enemy,  ultimately  driving  them 
from  the  bridge,  which  they  had  occupied,  and  thus  cleared  a 
way  for  Longstreet  and  D.  H.  Hill,  to  advance.  He  then  re 
formed  his  troops,  and  commenced  an  attack  upon  Mechanics 
ville  itself,  which  brought  on  a  terrific  fight. 

This  place  had  been  strongly  fortified  by  General  Fitz  John 
Porter,  of  the  Federal  army ;  and  it  is  probable  that,  had  not 
Ambrose  Hill  known  that  Jackson -and  Longstreet  were  near, 
he  would  have  felt  himself  too  weak  to  attempt  its  capture. 

Artillery  on  both  sides  now  opened  with  a  terrible  roar,  and, 
as  evening  fell,  the  flash  of  guns,  and  long  lines  of  musketry 
could  be  seen,  in  bright  relief,  against  the  blue  and  cloudless 
sky.  A  half  hour  of  this  deafening  cannonade  passed,  with 
shells  screaming  through  the  air,  and  bursting  upon  the  troops 
on  either  side,  when  the  direct  assault  was  ordered  to  be  made. 
Then  the  enemy's  artillery  opened  again,  with  great  rapidity, 
upon  the  advancing  men,  "until  it  seemed  as  if  every  tree  in 
the  forest  was  cracking  and  shivering  to  pieces."  The  men  un 
der  Hill's  command,  however,  rushed  on  through  this  fearful 
fire,  and  swarmed  into  the  breastworks.  "In  a  little  while 
the  Federal  guns  were  silent :  a  loud  noise  of  many  voices 
was  heard  ;  and  then  a  long,  wild,  piercing  yell,  as  of  ten 
thousand  demons,  and  the  place  was  won  !" 

During  the  battle  General  Hill  was  ever  in  the  front,  regard 
less  of  danger;  and  although  his  coat  was  torn  in  several 
places,  miraculously  escaped. 

The  next  day's  work,  General  Ambrose  Hill  was  in  the  centre 
of  the  army,  bearing  towards  Cold  Harbor,  and  proceeding 
with  Longstreet,  along  the  edge  of  the  Chickahominy.  When 
near  Hogan's  plantation,  he  halted  a  while  to  await  the  arrival 
of  Jackson  at  Cold  Harbor,  and  directly  this  was  ascertained, 
he  marched  forward,  in  accordance  with  instructions  from  Gen 
eral  Lee.  His  position  was  the  centre  of  the  whole  army, 
but  on  the  left  of  that  portion  of  it  which  now  advanced  to 


378  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

unite  with  Jackson.  On  arriving  in  front  of  the  enemy  he 
vigorously  pushed  their  centre  ;  but  his  division,  thoroughly  ex 
hausted  by  hard  inarching  and  previous  fighting,  was  unequal 
to  the  task,  and  was  withdrawn  in  favor  of  Whiting's  division 
of  Texans,  Alabatnians,  and  Mississippians.  Hill  marched  to 
the  rear,  and  rested  awhile.  Here,  when  the  enemy  had  been 
driven  back  to  the  right,  he  suddenly  rose  up  before  them,  and 
attacked  so  severely,  that,  coupled  with  the  assault  of  Jackson, 
and  the  rest,  they  had  to  retreat  most  hastily. 

For  several  days  following,  the  pursuit  of  the  Federals  was 
continued,  Ambrose  Hill's  division  being  one  of  the  foremost 
in  advance,  on  their  left  flank.  The  wretched,  swampy 
country  through  which  both  armies  had  to  move,  we  have 
already  described,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  the  troops  could 
proceed.  Nevertheless,  "  onward"  was  the  word,  and  amidst 
a  scene  of  carnage  and  destruction,  Hill,  with  his  heroic  fol 
lowers,  "  rushed  forward  to  contend  with  the  fresh  and  un 
touched  divisions  of  the  enemy.  Now  driven  back,  new  troops 
poured  in  to  take  their  place,  and  General  Hill  continually 
found  himself  opposed  to  several  reliefs  ere  other  regiments  of 
the  Confederate  army  could  come  up."  The  fighting  was  most 
determined  and  heroic  on  both  sides;  and  at  length  the  posi 
tion  of  General  Hill  became  precarious  in  the  extreme.  For 
tunately,  he  collected  some  of  the  broken  divisions  of  other 
commands,  and,  together,  he  once  more  dashed  towards  the 
foe,  who  thereupon  retired  ;  fortunately,  perhaps,  for  him,  as 
he  could  hardly  have  withstood  them  longer,  with  his  few 
torn  and  wearied  brigades.  Gathering  the  remnants  of  his 
gallant  division,  almost  decimated  by  continual  hard  fought 
engagements,  he  moved  to  the  rear  to  recruit  and  reform. 

In  this  engagement,  General  McCall,  of  the  Federal  army, 
was  captured. 

It  has  been  said,  by  a  participant  in  this  battle,  that  u  had 
not  Hill's  division  been  made  of  steel,  rather  than  flesh  and 
blood,  they  could  not  have  withstood  the  many  hardships  of 
these  trying  days ;  for,  after  fighting  desperately  at  Mechan- 
icsville  on  Thursday,  they  marched  to  Gaines's  Mills  and 
fought  five  hours  on  Friday ;  rested  part  of  Saturday  ;  trav 
elled  a  circuitous  route,  and  a  terrible  road  of  many  miles,  on 
Sunday  and  Monday,  achieving  another  brilliant  victory 


GENERAL    AMBROSE    POWELL    HILL.  379 

against  great  odds.  Hill,  however,  is  a  military  genius,  and 
Lad  it  not  been  for  the  scientific  handling  of  his  men,  few 
would  have  rested  uninjured  on  the  torn  and  bloody  field  of 
Monday  night.  All  were  prostrated  with  fatigue,  and  lay  on 
the  ground  without  fires,  covering,  or  food,  too  weary  to  think 
of  any  thing  but  rest." 

The  pursuit  of  the  enemy  to  Malvern  Hill,  and  the  engage 
ment  there,  fell  upon  other  portions  of  the  army,  and  General 
Hill  afterwards  retired  to  the  in  trench  m  en  ts  around  Rich- 
mond.  Not  long  afterwards,  however,  he  was  sent  to  reinforce 
Stonewall  Jackson,  who  had  been  dispatched  to  check  the 
advance  of  Pope  in  North  Virginia.  At  the  battle  of  Cedar 
Run,  General  Hill  gallantly  maintained  the  prestige  he  had 
already  gained,  his  division  strongly  supporting  Swell's  posi 
tion,  and  vigorously  maintaining  the  fight.  In  the  subsequent 
operations,  as  previously  narrated,  he  bore  a  conspicuous  part, 
inarching  with  Jackson  on  his  flank  movement  towards  the 
Kappahannock  and  Manassas.  His  especial  part  in  the  work, 
after  surprising  the  latter  place,  was  to  deceive  the  enemy  by 
drawing  their  attention  to  his  own  movements,  while  Jackson 
proceeded  to  the  old  battlefield  of  Bull  Run.  Hill's  division, 
with  some  cavalry,  marched  to  Centreville,  and  thence  sud 
denly  turned  back  by  the  Warrenton  road  to  the  famous  Stone 
bridge.  Near  this  point,  he  rejoined  Jackson,  after  being 
hotly  pursued  by  the  Federalists. 

The  battle  that  followed  has  already  been  told,  with  the 
part  General  A.  P.  Hill  so  ably  played  therein;  but  we  may 
add,  that  his  division  fought  so  bravely,  and  fired  so  fast,  that, 
having  shot  away  all  their  cartridges,  they  set  about  collecting 
more  from  the  bodies  of  fallen  friends  and  foes,  and  thus  con 
tinued  the  engagement.  When  the  cartridges,  so  obtained, 
gave  out,  they  then  charged  forward  with  a  fierce  yell,  and 
the  cold  steel  of  the  bayonet.  The  next  morning,  August 
30th,  General  Hill's  corps  held  the  ridge  of  hills  on  the  battle 
ground,  with  Longstreet  on  the  right,  at  an  obtuse  angle,  so 
that  if  the  enemy  attacked  the  centre,  they  would  have  their 
flank  exposed  to  Longstreet,  and  if  they  forced  him  back,  their 
flank  would  be  open  to  Hill.  We  need  not  repeat  what  fol 
lowed.  The  second  battle  of  Bull  Run  was  fought,  and  the 
enemy  again  defeated.  General  Hill  went  forward  in  pursuit, 


380  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

and  on  the  1st  of  September,  lie  encountered  a  large  body  of 
the  Federals  of  Gennantown,  a  small  village  near  the  main 
road  from  Centreville  to  Fairfax  Court-house.  General  Hill 
immediately  ordered  the  attack,  and  after  a  brief,  but  holly 
contested  fight,  the  enemy  withdrew. 

The  Confederate  army  then  marched  into  Maryland  ;  and 
General  Hill  accompanied  that  part  of  it  under  command  of 
Jackson.  On  the  6th  of  September,  Hill's  division,  with 
Swell's,  occupied  a  position  near  the  railroad  bridge,  on  the 
Monocacy,  guarding  the  approaches  from  Washington  ;  but 
when  it  was  ordered  to  move  on  Harper's  Ferry,  he  rapidly 
proceeded  there  by  the  road  from  Williamsport  to  Martins- 
burg,  recrossing  the  Potomac,  and  taking  the  advance.  Mar- 
tinsburg  was  evacuated  on  his  approach,  and  General  Hill 
pursued  his  way  unmolested,  coming  in  sight  of  the  enemy 
drawn  up  in  force  at  Bolivar  Heights,  about  11  A.  M.  on  Sep 
tember  13th.  Pie  then  encamped  near  Hallstown,  about  two 
miles  from  the  enemy's  position.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  next 
day,  General  Hill  was  ordered  to  move  along  the  left  bank  of 
the  Shenandoah,  turn  the  enemy's  left,  and  enter  Harper's 
Ferry.  General  Law-ton,  commanding  the  division  of  Ewell 
(absent  on  account  of  his  wounded  leg),  was  directed  to  move 
along  the  turnpike  for  the  purpose  of  supporting  General  Hill, 
and  otherwise  operating  against  the  enemy  to  his  left  In 
execution  of  these  orders,  General  Hill  moved  obliquely  to  the 
right,  until  he  struck  the  Shenandoah  river.  Observing  an 
eminence,  crowning  the  extreme  left  of  the  enemy's  line,  occu 
pied  by  infantry,  but  without  artillery,  and  protected  only  by 
an  abattis  of  fallen  timber,  Pender,  Archer,  and  Brocken- 
brough,  were  directed  to  gain  its  crest,  while  Branch  and 
Gregg  marched  along  the  river,  and,  during  the  night,  to  take 
advantage  of  the  ravines,  cutting  the  precipitous  banks  of  the 
river,  and  establish  themselves  on  the  plains  to  the  left  and 
rear  of  the  enemy's  works.  Thomas  followed  as  a  reserve. 
All  this  was  effectively  accomplished,  Lieutenant-colonel  Walk 
er,  chief  of  Hill's  artillery,  bringing  up  the  batteries  of  Cap 
tains  Pegrarn,  Mclntosh,  Davidson,  Braxton,  and  Crenshaw-. 
On  the  15th,  at  an  early  hour,  the  attack  on  the  enemy  began, 
and  shortly  afterwards  General  Hill,  according  to  orders, 
ceased  firing,  as  a  signal  for  storming  the  works.  The  white 


GENERAL    AMBROSE    POWELL    HILL.  SSI 

flag  was,  however,  soon  displayed,  and  the  garrison  capitulated. 
General  Hill  was  left  to  receive  the  surrender  of  the  Federal 
troops,  etc.,  while  Jackson  moved  forward  to  the  main  army 
under  Lee. 

General  Hill  having  accomplished  this,  then  proceeded  to 
Antietam,  where  the  battle  was  raging,  and  reached  there  at  4 
r.  M.,  on  the  17th  of  September,  taking  his  position  on  the  Con 
federate  right.  His  timely  arrival  materially  aided  in  the  for 
tunes  of  the  day,  and  enabled  General  Lee  to  maintain  his 
ground,  though,  as  we  have  elsewhere  shown,  neither  party 
left  in  a  condition  to  renew  the  conflict. 

The  following  night,  September  18th,  the  army  fell  back  to 
Virginia,  recrossing  the  Potomac  early  on  the  morning  of  the 
19th.  General  Hill,  with  General  Early,  had  gone  on,  in  the 
advance,  towards  Martinsburg,  but  a  force  of  the  enemy  came 
over  the  river,  and  General  Hill  faced  about  to  charge  them. 
u  His  division,"  says  Jackson,  in  the  official  report,  "  advanced 
with  great  gallantry  against  the  infantry,  in  the  face  of  a  con 
tinual  discharge  of  shot  and  shell  from  their  batteries.  .  .  The 
enemy  were  driven  into  the  river,  followed  by  an  appalling 
scene  of  the  destruction  of  human  life."  An  eye-witness  says, 
"With  no  stop  or  hesitation,  using  no  artillery,  sending  his 
men  in  steadily,  General  A.  P.  Hill  drove  the  enemy  into  and 
across  the  river,  taking  300  prisoners,  and  making  the  river 
Hue  with  their  dead" 

The  army  now  recuperated  awhile,  and  generals,  officers,  and 
soldiers  obtained  that  rest  they  so  much  needed.  Again  they 
took  up  the  march,  and  crossed  North  Virginia  to  Fredericks- 
burg.  There,  as  we  have  before  related,  another  great  battle 
was  fought,  and  General  Hill  was  again  conspicuous.  His 
part  in  that  battle  we  mentioned  in  the  words  of  his  gallant 
commander,  General  Lee;  but  we  may  add  that  the  fighting 
was  terribly  severe  at  his  position  on  the  right,  and  nothing 
1m t  the  most  determined  bravery  and  endurance  could  have 
prevented  his  division  from  being  annihilated  by  the  impetu 
ous  charge  of  Franklin  and  Hooker. 

From  this  date  there  is  little  to  record  of  General  Hill  that 
has  not  already  been  stated  in  previous  sketches.  His  in 
dividuality  is  merged  in  the  glorious  deeds  of  the  army  wherein 
he  bore  so  high  and  important  a  position.  To  relate,  in  de- 


382  SOUTHERN   GENEKALS. 

detail,  what  was  done  by  this  brave  and  skilful  officer  at 
Chancellorsville,  and  again  in  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania, 
would  involve  useless  repetition,  and  the  reader  must  be 
referred  to  the  preceding  more  extended  accounts  of  this 
period. 

In  the  spring  of  1863,  the  Confederate  army  was  in  winter- 
quarters  at  Fredericksburg,  when,  on  the  28th  of  April,  at 
midnight,  General  Hill,  in  accordance  with  orders  received 
that  evening,  took  up  his  inarch  towards  Chancellorsville.  In 
the  battle  that  followed,  his  division  formed  the  centre  of  Jack 
son's  corps,  on  the  old  turnpike  road,  near  the  Wilderness. 
General  lihodes  was  in  front,  and  when  Hill  moved  forward, 
after  Khodes  had  gallantly  charged,  he  had  to  form  his  men  in 
and  on  each  side  of  the  road  leading  through  the  thick  wood. 
It  was  at  that  time  Jackson  met  his  death  wound,  and  his  last 
order  was  to  his  stall',  "  Go  back  and  tell  A.  P.  Hill  to  press 
right  on !"  The  command  of  the  corps  now,  however,  de 
volved  upon  General  Hill,  as  the  senior  officer,  but  while 
rushing  forward  to  the  assault  he  himself  was  wounded,  and 
had  to  retire  from  the  field.  For  his  gallantry  in  this  battle1, 
Hill  was  soon  after  made  a  lieutenant-general,  and  had  the 
command  of  one  of  the  three  grand  corps  into  which  the  army  was 
then  divided.  Fortunately  his  wound  did  not  detain  him  long 
from  the  saddle.  On  the  8th  of  June  he  was  commanding  his 
corps,  again  on  the  march  to  new  scenes  of  glory.  Up  the 
Shenandoah,  into  Maryland,  and  at  Gettysburg,  his  name 
prominently  appears  with  the  other  brave  generals  who  figured 
there.  On  the  first  day's  fight  (July  1st),  at  Gettysburg,  the 
corps  of  General  Hill  was  mostly  engaged,  two  of  his  divisions 
driving  the  enemy  back,  and  capturing  a  great  many  pris 
oners,  some  cannon  and  colors.  In  speaking  to  one  looking 
on  at  this  engagement,  he  said,  "  The  Yankees  have  fought 
with  a  determination  unusual  to  them  j"  and  he  pointed  out  a 
railway  cutting  in  which  they  had  made  a  good  stand.  He 
also  showed  a  field,  in  the  centre  of  which  he  had  seen  a  man 
plant  the  regimental  colors,  round  which  the  regiment  had 
fought  for  some  time  with  much  obstinacy,  and  when,  at 
length,  it  was  obliged  to  retreat,  the  color-bearer  retired  last  of 
all,  turning  round  every  now  and  then  to  shake  his  fist  at  the 
advancing  Confederates.  The  poor  fellow,  however,  sacrificed 


GENERAL    AMBROSE    POWELL    HILL.  383 

his  life  to  his  fearlessness,  and  General  Hill  said  lie  felt  truly 
sorry  when  he  saw  him  fall. 

On  the  following  day,  General  Hill  occupied  the  centre  of 
the  Confederate  army,  and  was  seated,  with  General  Lee,  just 
below  a  tree,  watching  through  his  glass  the  progress  of  the 
fight.  Two  of  bis  brigades  gave  way,  and  night  closed  upon 
the  scene.  Next  day  a  portion  only  of  his  corps  was  engaged, 
with  what  result,  the  reader  already  knows. 

The  next  important  movement  of  the  army,  after  the  retreat 
from  Gettysburg,  was  in  October,  1863,  when  General  Hill 
was  sent  forward  to  Bristoe  station  in  pursuit  of  Meade's  army, 
which  had  fallen  back  from  its  advanced  position  on  the  Rap- 
pahannock.  II ill  had  but  two  brigades  in  front,  and  these 
were  repulsed  with  considerable  loss  in  killed  and  wounded, 
besides  five  pieces  of  artillery.  General  Hill  then  returned  to 
the  Rappahannock,  whither  Meade,  some  time  afterwards, 
followed,  and  routed  a  small  force  stationed  to  guard  the  bridge 
over  that  river. 

We  must  now  pass  on  to  the  momentous  campaign  of  the 
year  1864,  in  every  battle  of  which  General  Hill  bore  a  part. 
During  the  period  of  rest,  from  the  preceding  November  until 
May,  nothing  occurred  of  importance  to  relate  in  this  connec 
tion.  Encamped  with  the  army  on  the  Rapidan,  it  was  not 
till  the  4th  of  that  month  he  had  again  an  opportunity  to 
signalize  himself,  but  this  was  conspicuously  done  when  he 
marched  rapidly  from  his  quarters  to  the  Wilderness,  and 
shared  in  that  hard-fought  battle.  Hill's  corps  behaved,  on 
this  occasion,  with  the  most  remarkable  bravery,  and  the 
general  himself  was  everywhere  present,  pressing  on  and  en 
couraging  his  men.  Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor,  Petersburg, 
and  every  fight  around  Richmond,  all  bear  witness  to  the 
heroism  and  determination  of  the  Confederate  generals  and 
their  officers  and  men.  We  have  already  told  the  tale,  as 
fully  as  space  would  permit,  in  our  sketch  of  General  Lee,  to 
which  we  refer.  In  all  reports  of  those  engagements,  to  the 
prurient  time,  a  well-deserved  tribute  is  paid  to  the  skill  and 
valor  of  Lieutenant-general  A.  P.  Hill. 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  JOHN  B.  HOOD. 


CONCERNING  the  subject  of  our  present  sketch,  but  very  little, 
specially  interesting,  can  be  gathered  bearing  date  prior  to  the 
opening  of  hostilities  between  the  North  and  South.  Of  his 
family  connections  we  are  unable  to  obtain  any  information. 
But  we  find  he  was  born  a  Iventuckian,  at  Owensville,  Bath 
county,  on  the  29th  of  June,  1831.  He  was  educated  at 
Mount  Sterling,  entered  West  Point  Military  Academy  in 
1849,  and,  graduating  at  the  end  of  the  usual  term,  he  joined 
the  4th  regiment  of  infantry,  in  1858.  With  this  regiment 
he  served  nearly  two  years  in  California,  and  then  was  trans 
ferred,  in  July,  1855,  to  the  2d  cavalry,  already  mentioned  more 
than  once,  as  that  to  which  Albert  S.  Johnson  and  General 
Lee  belonged,  in  the  respective  commands  of  colonel  and 
lieutenant-colonel.  With  this  regiment  he  did  duty  on  the 
western  frontier  of  Texas,  and  in  July,  1850,  was  wounded  in 
a  fight  with  the  Indians.  No  doubt  it  was  here,  in  the  wild 
service  of  the  Texan  west,  that,  in  common  with  others  we 
have  to  note,  he  derived  that  boldness  and  dasli  so  conspicuous 
in  him  during  the  past  four  years  of  war.  This  is  apparent 
from  the  fact  that,  some  time  before  the  civil  strife  began,  he 
was  ordered  from  Texas  to  report  for  duty  as  instructor  of 
cavalry  at  West  Point ;  but,  afterwards,  at  his  own  request, 
was  returned  to  his  regiment,  then  at  San  Antonio. 

It  has  been  stated  that  he  foresaw  the  present  difficulties, 
and  returned  to  Texas  with  a  view  of  joining  the  South ;  but 
that  statement  is  opposed  to  another  account,  from  one  who 
was  with  him  on  the  battlefield  at  the  Chickahominy.  The  latter 
specifies  that  Hood  gave  up  his  connection  with  the  old  army, 
and  followed  the  legal  profession  in  his  native  State,  prior  to 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    JOHN    B.    HOOD.  385 

joining  the  Southern  Confederacy.  Be  this  as  it  may,  we  find 
him  resigning  his  commission  on  the  16th  of  April,  1861,  and 
entering  the  new  army  of  the  South  with  the  rank  of  first- 
lieutenant,  with  the  order  to  report  to  General  Lee  early  in 
May,  1861.  He  was  then  appointed  captain  of  cavalry,  and 
sent  to  Magruder,  then  in  command  on  the  Peninsula.  Several 
skirmishes  and  engagements  occurred,  of  no  particular  note, 
however,  except  the  light  at  Great  Bethel,  wherein  the  cavalry 
figured  ;  but  wre  find  no  particular  mention  of  Captain  Hood's 
name  until,  on  September  30,  1861,  he  was  ordered  to  Rich 
mond,  and  received  the  rank  of  colonel  of  infantry.  There 
was,  at  the  time,  a  regiment  of  Texas  volunteers  in  camp  near 
the  city,  and  an  attempt  had  been  made  to  organize  them  by 
appointing  Colonel  Allen,  of  Texas,  to  the  command  ;  but, 
from  some  cause  of  dissatisfaction  with  him,  this  appointment 
was  withdrawn,  and  Colonel  Hood  assigned  to  the  post. 

At  this  period  Hood  was  in  all  the  manly  vigor  of  good 
health,  and  presented  a  fine,  commanding  appearance,  witli  a 
powerful  melodious  voice,  and  a  kindly  though  piercing  eye; 
consequently  his  manners  and  look  soon  wron  upon  his  soldiers, 
and  very  speedily  he  obtained  their  cordial  good-will.  The 
men  found  him  able  and  ready  to  give  all  the  necessary  in 
struction,  not  only  in  drilling  them,  but  also  in  other  minor 
technicalities  of  the  field.  Thus  he  succeeded  in  forming  a 
somewhat  rough,  but  hardy  and  daring  set  of  recruits,  into  a 
fine  and  most  effective  regiment. 

At  the  beginning  of  November,  1861,  Hood  and  his  men 
were  ordered  to  Dumfries,  in  Virginia,  and  there,  with  another 
regiment,  organized  into  a  brigade  under  Senator  Wigfall,  who 
had  been  appointed  a  brigadier-general.  When,  however, 
Senator  Wigfall  had  to  take  his  seat  in  the  Confederate  Con 
gress,  on  March  3d,  1862,  Colonel  Hood  was  assigned  to  his 
post,  with  a  brigadier's  rank.  In  this  month  the  grand  army 
of  Virginia  evacuated  Manassas,  and  marched  south.  Hood's 
brigade  then  accompanied  it  to  the  Peninsula,  and  appears  to 
have  been  attached  to  Longstreefs  corps  at  Yorktown  and 
Williamsburg,  and  when  the  army  retreated  to  Richmond,  he 
brought  up  the  rear  of  the  main  force,  though  Longstreet  was 
further  behind  him.  On  the  7th  of  May,  the  Union  forces, 
under  General  Franklin,  landed  at  West  Point,  on  the  York 

25 


386  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

river,  and  then  Hood  came  prominently  forward  in  attacking 
him.  Posting  his  Texans  in  an  advantageous  position  among 
the  swampy  woods,  he  suddenly  fell  upon  the  Federals  as  they 
advanced,  and  gave  them  battle.  The  fight  was  wild  and  con 
fused  for  hours.  The  enemy  then  hurriedly  fell  back  to  the 
shelter  of  the  gunboats,  and  General  Hood  followed  the  main 
army  towards  Richmond. 

Particulars  of  the  several  battles  around  Richmond  have 
already  been  related,  but  we  may  mention  that  the  battle  of 
Gaines's  Mill  was  the  first  great  fight  in  which  Hood's  brigade 
had  participated.  Previously  they  had  been  held  in  reserve, 
and  placed  where  skirmishing  or  outpost  work  was  carried  on. 
ISTow,  however,  they  were  called  upon  to  show  of  what  stuff 
they  were  made,  and  a  desperate  part  was  assigned  them, 
The  Federal  batteries  had  to  be  charged,  and  when  the  proper 
moment  came,  the  word  was  given.  Hood  himself,  on  foot,  led 
them  forward,  and,  with  a  wild  shout,  at  a  run,  they  rushed 
on  right  into  the  redoubts  and  among  the  guns.  A  hand-to- 
hand  conflict  ensued  ;  their  ranks  were  broken  for  a  moment, 
but,  rapidly  closing,  the  Texans  fought  like  fiends.  The  result 
is  known.  The  enemy  retired  before  the  tremendous  charge 
of  Hood's  brigade,  while  he,  by  his  gallantry  on  this  occasion, 
obtained  promotion  as  a  major-general. 

From  this  time  the  movements  of  General  Hood  were  so 
bound  up  with  the  grand  army  under  Lee,  that  to  relate  them 
in  detail,  would  only  be  repeating  what  we  have  already  nar 
rated,  and,  therefore,  a  few  illustrations  of  the  part  he  sus 
tained  in  the  several  battles  is  all  that  need  be  given. 

At  the  battles  of  Groveton  and  Bull  Run,  on  August  29th 
and  30th,  1862,  he  was  especially  conspicuous  for  daring  and 
skill  in  his  movements.  On  the  first  day,  it  is  related  that 
"  General  Lee,  seeing  the  moment  had  arrived  for  a  demonstra 
tion  on  the  enemy's  left,  about  nightfall  this  was  undertaken. 
Hood's  division  was  ordered  forward,  and  no  sooner  had  these 
splendid  troops  thrown  themselves  with  ardor  into  the  contest, 
than  the  whole  appearance  of  the  field  suddenly  changed.  Up 
to  that  moment  the  conflict  had  been  obstinate,  but  the  firing 
upon  both  sides  had  perceptibly  decreased  in  intensity.  It  was 
just  at  that  moment  Hood's  division  advanced;  and  the  quick 
tongues  of  flame  leaped  from  the  muzzles  of  his  muskets, 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   JOHN   B.    HOOD.  387 

lighting  up  the  gathering  gloom  with  their  crimson  light.  .  .  . 
Then,  with  one  long  roar  of  musketry,  and  a  maze  of  quick 
flashes  everywhere,  Hood's  men  charged  forward,  with  wild 
cheers,  driving  the  enemy  before  them  into  the  depths  of  the 
forest." 

In  the  next  day's  conflict,  his  division  took  the  advance  of 
Longstreet's  corps,  and,  pressing  forward,  "never  yielded  an 
inch."  Hood  himself,  equally  with  other  generals,  shared  the 
dangers  of  his  men  ;  and  when  the  fight  was  won,  could  claim 
a  full  share  of  the  high  praise  bestowed  by  Lee  upon  all. 

It  is  a  singular  coincidence,  that  the  troops  actually  opposed 
to  Hood's  division,  at  this  battle,  were  the  same  he  encountered 
at  Gaines'  Mill  ;  and,  as  there,  after  a  gallant  contest,  they 
had  to  retire  before  him. 

The  first  invasion  of  Maryland,  in  September,  again  brought 
General  Hood  prominently  forward  at  Boonesboro,  where,  in 
conjunction  with  D.  H.  Hill,  he  held  the  mountain  pass  against 
McClellan  until  Lee  came  up.  What  occurred  has  already 
been  told,  and  we  pass  rapidly  on,  with  Hood  still  accompany 
ing  the  army,  to  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg.  Here  Hood  held 
the  right  of  Longstreet's  corps,  and  was,  consequently,  on  the 
left  of  Jackson.  The  enemy  had  taken  possession  of  a  small 
copse  in  front  of  Hood,  but  he  quickly  dispossessed  them  of  it, 
and  drove  them  off  with  great  loss. 

o 

In  the  month  of  February,  1863,  Longstreet,  with  two  of 
his  divisions,  proceeded  south,  to  the  siege  of  Suffolk,  in  South 
east  Virginia  ;  and,  as  General  Hood  does  not  appear  to  have 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  it  is  to  be  infer 
red  that  he  accompanied  his  corps-commander,  though  very 
little  is  to  be  found  relating  to  this  expedition.  However,  in 
the  month  of  June,  we  find  both  of  them  in  Maryland  again, 
at  the  second  invasion  of  that  State  by  General  Lee.  Hood 
was  severely  wounded  in  the  arm,  at  Gettysburg ;  and,  on  the 
retreat,  he  was  borne  in  a  carriage,  suffering  very  much  from 
such  a  conveyance.  It  was,  at  first,  thought  his  arm  could  not 
be  saved,  but  proper  care  and  attention  preserved  it,  though 
ever  afterwards  it  was  shrivelled,  and  nearly  useless.  Still, 
he  did  not  absolutely  forsake  his  command.  Resting  awhile 
to  recover  from  his  wound,  he  was  able  to  accompany  Long- 
street,  at  the  end  of  August,  into  East  Tennessee,  and  on  to 


383  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

reinforce  Bragg,   then    preparing  for   the    battle  of    Cliicka- 

mauga. 

In  this  battle,  previously  described,  Major-general  Hood, 
with  his  division,  was  on  the  left,  hotly  engaged,  and  ultimately 
drove  the  enemy  from  the  front  of  him.  In  the  engagement 
of  the  second  day,  Sunday,  September  20th,  1863,  he  was  again 
wounded,  making  amputation  of  his  leg  needful,  it  being 
terribly  shattered. 

For  his  valuable  services  in  this  and  other  engagements, 
Hood  was  afterwards  made  a  lieutenant-general ;  but  six 
months  elapsed  before  he  could  again  take  the  field.  In  the 
beginning  of  March,  however,  he  was  at  Eichmond,  and  about 
the  middle  of  the  month  proceeded  to  take  command  of 
his  corps  in  North  Georgia,  under  General  Johnston.  On  the 
way  to  Dalton,  an  accident  occurred  to  the  train  he  was  in, 
arising  from  a  collision,  and  General  Hood  suffered  in  con 
sequence,  but  was  not  prevented  from  continuing  his  jour 
ney. 

Soon  after  taking  command,  he  issued  a  very  excellent  order 
with  regard  to  troops  attacking,  when  in  line  of  battle.  He 
said,  "They  must  not  be  moved  at  the  double-quick  step,  or  be 
in  any  way  unnecessarily  fatigued,  before  engaging  the  enemy, 
that  they  may  be  in  the  best  possible  condition  for  pressing 
him,  and  improving  any  advantages  which  may  be  gained." 

Of  the  subsequent  operations  connected  with  Sherman's  ad 
vance  in  Georgia,  and  Johnston's  retreat,  we  have  already 
spoken.  At  the  battle  of  Resaca,  Hood  commanded  the  right, 
and  as  the  army  fell  back,  he  was  very  effective  in  stubbornly 
disputing  the  enemy's  progress.  On  the  18th  of  July,  General 
Johnston  having  been  relieved,  Hood  was  appointed  in  his 
place,  and  assumed  command  in  the  following  address  : 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OP  TENNESSEE,  July  18, 1864. 
SOLDIERS — In    obedience  to  orders   from   the  War  Depart 
ment,  I  assume  command  of  this  army  and  department.     / 
feel  the  weight  of  the  responsibility  so  suddenly  and  unexpect 
edly  devolved  upon  me  by  this  position,  and  shall  bend  all  my 
energies  and  employ  all  my  skill  to  meet  its  requirements.     I 
look  with  confidence  to  your  patriotism  to  stand  by  me,  and 
rely  upon  your  prowess  to  wrest  your  country  from  the  grasp 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    JOHN    B.    HOOD.  389 

of  the  invader,  entitling  yourselves  to  the  proud  distinction  of 
being  called  the  deliverers  of  an  oppressed  people. 

J.  B.  HOOD,  General. 

The  Confederate  army  was  now  before  and  in  Atlanta, 
Sherman  vigorously  at  work  around  it.  On  the  20th  Hood  at 
tacked  the  enemy's  right,  on  Peach-tree  creek,  near  the  Chatta- 
hoochee,  driving  him  from  his  works,  and  capturing  colors  and 
prisoners.  The  day  following,  at  night,  the  army  shifted  its 
position  fronting  on  Peach-tree  creek,  and  Stewart's  and 
Cheatham's  corps  formed  in  line  of  battle  around  the  city. 
Hardee's  corps  made  a  night  march,  and  attacked  the  enemy's 
extreme  left  on  the  22d,  at  one  o'clock,  and  drove  him  from 
his  works,  capturing  sixteen  pieces  of  artillery  and  five  stands 
of  colors.  Cheatham  attacked  the  enemy  at  four  o'clock,  p.  M., 
with  a  portion  of  his  command,  and  drove  the  enemy,  captur 
ing  six  pieces  of  artillery.  During  the  engagement  the  Con 
federates  captured  about  two  thousand  prisoners. 

Such  is  the  account,  in  General  Hood's  hurried  report  of 
what  was,  in  reality,  a  severe  engagement,  with  great  loss  on 
both  sides  ;  and  we  cannot  pass  it  over  without  mentioning 
the  death  of  the  gallant,  and  now  justly  lamented,  General 
McPherson,  whose  brilliant  career  in  the  Federal  army  is  so 
well  known. 

On  the  2Stli  of  July,  Hood  made  another  attack  on  Sherman, 
who  was  extending  his  line  more  to  the  right,  and  was  thus 
compelled  to  fall  back  before  the  fierce  assault  of  the  Confed 
erates. 

At  length,  after  various  sharp  encounters  between  the  con 
tending  parties,  Atlanta  was  evacuated,  and  General  Hood 
gent  the  following  report  explaining  the  cause. 

HEADQUARTERS,  September  3,  1864. 

On  the  evening  of  the  30th  of  August,  the  enemy  made  a 
lodgement  across  Flint  river,  near  Jonesboro.  We  attacked 
them  there  on  the  evening  of  the  31st  with  two  corps,  but 
failed  to  dislodge  them. 

This  made  it  necessary  to  abandon  Atlanta,  which  was  done 
on  the  night  of  the  1st  of  September. 

Our  loss  on  the  evening  of  the  31st  was  small. 


390  SOUTHERN"    GENERALS. 

On  the  evening  of  the  1st  of  September,  General  Hardee's 
corps,  in  position  at  Jonesboro,  was  assaulted  by  a  superior 
force  of  the  enemy,  and  being  outflanked,  was  compelled  to 
withdraw  during  the  night,  with  the  loss  of  eight  guns. 

The  enemy's  prisoners  report  their  loss  very  severe. 

J.  B.  HOOD,  General. 

The  above  dispatch  of  the  fall  of  such  an  important  city  as 
Atlanta,  is,  however,  so  brief,  that  we  think  it  may  be  interest 
ing  to  give  some  details,  as  related  by  a  correspondent.  The 
writer  says : 

"  The  position  of  the  Federal  troops  on  the  30th  of  April  was 
as  follows  :  General  Howard's  army  of  the  Tennessee,  which 
had  the  right  of  the  line,  having  crossed  the  West  Point  rail 
road  nearest  to  Fairburn,  had  pushed  forward  in  an  oblique 
direction,  and  was  therefore  near  Jonesboro,  twenty-two 
miles  south  of  Atlanta,  while  his  communicating  force — the 
army  of  the  Ohio,  under  General  Schotield — passing  over  the 
railroad  nearer  to  Red  Oak,  crossed  the  country  in  a  more  di 
rect  line,  and  found  itself  near  to  Rough  and  Ready,  and  on 
the  extreme  left  of  the  Union  army.  Both  of  these  places  are 
stations  of  the  Macon  railroad,  but  about  eleven  miles  apart. 
It  was  therefore  necessary  that  the  gap  between  those  wings 
should  be  filled,  and  the  army  of  the  Cumberland,  under  Gen 
eral  Thomas,  and  which  had  marched  along  the  route  in  two 
columns,  behind  the  armies  of  the  Tennessee  and  Ohio,  now 
came  forward  to  the  front  and  formed  the  centre  of  the  main 
army.  Sherman's  line  was  therefore  eleven  miles  in  extent, 
and  ranged  along  the  Macon  railroad  from  Rough  and  Ready 
to  Jonesboro,  with  its  centre  at  Couch's. 

"  The  Confederate  forces  had,  at  this  time,  been  divided  into 
two  main  armies,  separated  by  an  interval  of  twenty-two  miles. 

;t  One  part  of  the  army  was  intrenched  at  Atlanta,  and  the 
other  at  Jonesboro,  under  General  Ilardee,  and  was  also  in 
trenched.  The  cause  of  this  separation  of  the  forces  arose  from 
the  fact  that  Hood  had  found  out  by  Kilpatrick's  raid  that  it 
was  necessary  he  should  protect  his  communications  at  that 
point  by  a  large  force,  to  prevent  a  repetition  of  such  a  catas 
trophe  as  had  taken  place  at  that  part  of  the  line  on  the  20th 
instant.  He  certainly  had  not  expected  so  speedy  a  move- 


LIEUTENANT-GKNERAL    JOHN    B.    HOOD.  391 

merit  of  Sherman's  whole  army  in  the  same  direction.  Sher 
man's  army  was,  therefore,  between  the  enemy's  forces,  and 
had,  as  was  announced  from  the  War  Department,  literally  di 
vided  the  Confederates  in  two. 

'•  When  General  Howard  found  the  enemy  in  force  at  Jones 
boro,  he  at  once  intrenched  his  command,  locating  the  salient 
or  projecting  angle  within  half  a  mile  of  the  railroad.  This 
the  enemy  did  not  approve  of,  and  an  attempt  was  made  to 
drive  off  the  Federal  troops  from  the  position,  doubtless  suppos 
ing  the  force  to  be  merely  a  raiding  party.  The  Confederates 
attacked  General  Howard's  works  at  about  three  o'clock  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  30 ;h  of  August,  and  were  repulsed. 
Meeting  with  so  unexpected  a  force,  they  fell  back  into  their 
works  at  Jonesboro,  leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  in  front 
of  General  Howard's  lines. 

"  General  Sherman  soon  perceived  the  advantages  of  his  posi 
tion,  and  determined  to  profit  by  Hood's  mistake.  Having  the 
Confederate  forces  separated,  the  principal  object  was  to  keep 
them  so,  and  thus  conquer  them  in  detail.  He  therefore  or 
dered  the  advance  of  the  left  (Schotield)  and  centre  (Thomas) 
rapidly  to  the  railroad,  where  they  made  a  good  lodgment, 
and  during  the  31st  of  August,  nearly  the  whole  distance  be 
tween  Hough  and  Heady  and  Jonesboro  was  despoiled  of  its 
railroad  track,  ties,  and  other  material.  These  two  armies  were 
also  brought  nearer  to  the  intrenched  positions  at  Jonesboro, 
and  to  the  left  of  Howard's  command.  By  this  plan  of  opera 
tion.  Sherman  had  interposed  his  whole  army  between  Atlanta 
and  Jonesboro. 

"  Having  placed  his  troops  in  the  desired  position,  Sherman, 
on  the  1st  of  September,  ordered  a  general  attack  on  the  ene 
my  at  Jonesboro.  The  movement  was  made  with  great  gal 
lantry,  and  after  an  amount  of  skirmishing  and  artillery  fire, 
an  assault  of  the  works  was  ordered.  The  Fourteenth  corps, 
under  the  command  of  Brevet  Major-general  Jefferson  C. 
Davis,  was  selected  to  make  the  assault,  and  gallantly  they 
charged  upon  the  works  amid  a  storm  of  grape  and  canister 
from  the  enemy's  artillery.  Nothing  daunted,  the  brave  boys 
who  had  held  their  own  throughout  the  Georgia  campaign, 
rushed  upon  the  intrenchments  and  carried  them  handsomely, 
capturing  about  a  thousand  prisoners  and  ten  pieces  of  artil- 


392  SOUTHERN'    GENERALS. 

lery.  General  Sherman  speaks  highly  of  the  conduct  of  the 
m6n  of  the  gallant  Fourteenth,  and  officially  awards  to  Gen 
eral  Jefferson  C.  Davis  the  honor  he  has  so  bravely  won. 

'•During  the  night  the  enemy,  finding  it  impossible  to  hold 
Jonesboro,  retreated  along  the  Macon  railroad  in  a  southerly 
direction,  and  took  up  a  position  at  Love-joy's  station,  seven 
miles  distant,  and  twenty-nine  miles  from  Atlanta.  Here  they 
threw  up  hasty  intrenchments  to  prevent  the  further  pursuit  of 
our  cavalry,  which  had  followed  them  to  this  point,  inflicting 
damage  on  their  rear,  and  causing  confusion  during  the  retreat. 

"  While  Sherman  was  busily  engaged  in  his  attack  upon 
Jonesboro,  Hood,  who  had  still  remained  in  Atlanta,  finding 
that  he  was  outflanked,  his  line  of  supply  cut  off,  and  the 
Federal  troops  between  him  and  a  large  portion  of  his  army,  be 
came  speedily  convinced  that  his  position  was  untenable.  In 
order  to  save  that  portion  of  his  command  then  with  him,  he 
determined  to  evacuate  the  fortified  city,  and  on  the  night  of 
September  1st  he  blew  up  his  magazines,  destroyed  all  his  sup 
plies  that  he  could  not  remove,  consisting  of  seven  locomotives 
and  eighty-one  cars  loaded  with  ammunition,  small-arms,  and 
stores,  and  left  the  place  by  the  turnpike  roads. 

"  General  Slocum,  who  held  command  of  the  army  of  obser 
vation,  soon  discovered  the  position  of  affairs  in  Atlanta,  and 
on  the  morning  of  September  2d  moved  his  forces  from  the 
Chattahoochee  river  and  occupied  the  place.  He  captured  in 
Atlanta  fourteen  pieces  of  artillery,  many  of  them  in  first-rate 
condition,  and  a  large  number  of  small-arms." 

Yarious  comments,  as  usual,  were  made  upon  this  evacua 
tion  of  Atlanta  by  Hood;  but  it  was  generally  concluded  that 
the  evil,  though  great,  was  not  so  bad  as  might  be  inferred 
from  the  loss  of  such  a  city.  It  was  said,  by  one  reviewer  of 
Hood's  operations,  during  the  period,  that  "the  final  loss  of 
Atlanta  was  not  by  any  means  a  test  of  his  ability  or  capacity 
to  command,  for  the  holding  of  that  city  depended  upon  many 
contingencies  that  could  not  be  controlled  by  him  or  anybody 
else;"  and  remarks  were  added  concerning  the  various  causes 
that  had  produced  the  course  he  took. 

Upon  the  evacuation  of  Atlanta,  a  truce  of  ten  days  was 
agreed  to,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time,  Hood,  on  the 
19th  of  September,  shifted  his  position  to  the  West  Point  rail- 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    JOHN    E.    HOOD.  393 

road,  with  a  view  of  getting  in  Sherman's  rear.  Just  previous, 
on  Sunday,  the  18th  of  September,  President  Davis  arrived  at 
General  Hood's  headquarters,  and,  the  following  day,  reviewed 
the  whole  army.  In  the  evening,  the  President  addressed  the 
soldiers  in  hopeful  and  encouraging  tones.  Turning  to  Cheat- 
hanrs  division  of  Tennesseans,  he  said:  "Be  of  good  cheer, 
for  within  a  short  while  your  faces  will  be  turned  homeward, 
and  your  feet  pressing  Tennessee  soil." 

President  Davis  was  followed  by  General  Howell  Cobb,  who, 
in  a  few  remarks,  made  many  happy  hits,  and  convulsed  the 
audience  with  laughter.  General  Hood  was  enthusiastically 
called  for.  Slowly  rising  from  his  chair,  and  dashing  his  hat 
down  like  a  blushing  school-boy,  the  general  said  :  "Soldiers, 
it  is  not  my  province  to  make  speeches:  I  was  not  born  for 
such  work ;  that  I  leave  to  other  men.  Within  a  few  days  I 
expect  to  give  the  command  'forward,'  and  I  believe  you  are, 
like  myself/willing  to  go  forward,  even  if  we  live  on  parched 
corn  and  beef.  I  am  ready  to  give  the  command  'forward' 
this  very  night.  Good-night." 

In  reflecting  upon  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  and  the  want  of  suc 
cess  attending  Hood's  army  at  this  time,  we  should  not  forget 
the  bodily  infirmities  of  the  general  in  command,  consequent 
upon  the  severe  wounds  he  had  received  at  Gettysburg  and 
Chickamauga.  But  the  spirit  within  was  as  powerful  to  will 
and  to  do  as  ever.  He  was  evidently  one  of  those  whom  no 
disasters  or  physical  ailments — not  even  the  partial  dismem 
berment  of  his  body — nor  any  amount  of  external  trouble, 
annoyance,  or  ill-will  can  crush  ;  and  though  his  career  was 
not  so  conspicuous  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  as  that  of  some 
generals,  yet  he  well  and  bravely  bore  his  share  throughout. 
His  was  no  longer  the  fine  commanding  presence  of  earlier 
days,  in  the  outset  of  his  military  life, — nearly  four  years  of 
hard  service  having  reduced  his  frame,  and  robbed  him  of 
much  of  his  physical  ability,  leaving  the  vigor  of  his  powerful 
mind  alone  unbroken.  An  eye-witness  says  of  him,  at  this  time  : 

"•General  Hood  appears  to  be  in  as  cheerful  a  flow  of  spirits 
as  his  brave  and  patriotic  veterans.  I  saw  him  to-day,  sur 
rounded  by  a  group  of  major-generals  and  brigadiers,  in  social 
converse  under  an  oak-tree.  Where  the  next  campaign  will 
be,  is  scarcely  even  discussed.  At  present  there  are  no  evi- 


39tt  SOUTHERN    GKNEKALS. 

dences  of  a  movement.  But  I  have  reason  to  predict  that  be 
fore  many  moons  have  waned,  the  Federals  will  hear  of  Hood 
and  his  army,  through  quite  a  novel  and  unexpected  chan 
nel." 

Towards  the  end  of  the  month,  Hood  got  well  in  the  rear  of 
Sherman  at  Atlanta.  He  began  his  inarch  on  the  29th  of  Sep 
tember,  and  next  day  encamped  for  the  night  near  the  old 
battle-ground  of  New  Hope  church.  Here  he  concentrated 
his  forces,  bringing  up  the  corps  of  S.  D.  Lee,  and  Wheeler's 
cavalry.  Forrest  was  then  at  work  on  the  left,  and  Wheeler 
was -now  sent  to  the  right,  and  to  Marietta.  At  a  defile  in  the 
Allatoona  mountains,  the  Federals,  under  General  Corse,  at 
tacked  the  advance  of  Lee's  corps  under  S.  G.  French,  and  the 
Federal  general  was  there  slightly  wounded.  Hood,  however, 
went  on,  pursued  by  a  part  of  Sherman's  forces  to  Ilesaca, 
where  he  arrived  on  October  12th,  the  enemy  having  retired 
to  Atlanta.  Leaving  Wheeler  in  charge  at,  Kesaca,  Hood 
marched  rapidly  forward  to  Dalton,  took  possession,  and  then 
went  on  to  the  ffap,  at  Rinffsrold,  with  his  right  flank  at  La- 

O     i  /  o  O  *  O 

fayette.  From  here  to  Gadsden  and  Jacksonville,  Ala.  (the 
latter  place  Beauregard's  headquarters  at  the  time — he  having 
become  department  commander),  the  army  occupied  the  whole 
ground  by  the  22d  of  October,  in  good  condition,  and  ready 
for  the  next  grand  movement.  On  the  25th  of  October,  Hood's 
forces  were  at  Tuscumbia  and  Florence,  and  on  the  2d  of  No 
vember  some  of  the  enemy  in  Decatur  were  driven  out,  and 
the  place  captured  by  the  Confederates.  Resting  his  forces 
awhile,  Hood  then  crossed  the  Tennessee  at  Florence,  on'No- 
vember  13th,  General  Thomas,  with  the  Federal  army,  falling 
back  towards  Nashville.  At  first,  the  Confederate  advance  in 
Tennessee  seemed  highly  prosperous.  Pulaski  was  evacuated 
by  the  Federal  forces  under  General  R.  W.  Johnston,  on  the 
23d,  and  Hood  marched  on  to  Columbia.  Here,  by  a  flank 
movement,  on  the  night  of  the  25th,  he  compelled  Thomas's 
forces  to  withdraw.  At  Spring  Hill,  there  was  a  slight  en 
gagement,  but  on  the  30th  of  November,  a  battle  was  fought 
at  Franklin,  Tennessee.  The  following  account  of  it  is  from 
General  Hood's  dispatch : 


LIEUTENANT-GENEKAL   JOHN    B.    HOOD.  395 


HEADQUARTERS,  ARMY  OF  TENNESSEE,  near  NASHVILLE,  ) 
Dec.  8,  ma  MOBILE,  Dec.  9,  1864.     ) 
To  HON.  J.  A.  SEDDON  : 

About  four  o'clock  p.  M.,  November  30th,  we  attacked  the 
enemy  at  Franklin,  and  drove  them  from  their  centre  line  of 
temporary  works  into  the  inner  lines,  which  they  evacuated 
during  the  night,  leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  in  our  pos 
session,  and  retired  to  Nashville,  closely  followed  by  our  caval 
ry.  We  captured  several  stands  of  colors  and  about  one  thou 
sand  prisoners.  Our  troops  fought  with  great  gallantry.  We 
have  to  lament  the  loss  of  many  gallant  officers  and  men. 
Major-general  Cleburne  and  Brigadier-generals  John  Williams, 
Adams,  Gist,  Strahl,  and  Granberry  were  killed.  Major-gen 
eral  John  Brown,  and  Brigadier-generals  S.  Carter,  Manigault, 
Quarles,  Cockerill,  and  Scott  were  wounded.  Brigadier-gen 
eral  Gordon  was  captured. 

J.  B.  HOOD,  General. 

A  subsequent  telegram  from  General  Hood  says :  "  Our  loss 
of  officers  was  excessively  large  in  proportion  to  the  loss  of 
men." 

Hood  now  advanced  upon  Nashville,  and  laid  siege  to  it,  on 
the  2d  of  December,  closely  investing  it  for  a  fortnight.  At 
the  end  of  that  time,  the  Federal  forces  attacked  the  Confeder 
ates,  and  the  battle  of  Nashville  was  fought,  ending  in  the 
defeat  of  Hood's  army,  and  his  retreat  to  the  Tennessee  river, 
pursued  by  the  victorious  Federals.  The  following  dispatch, 
from  General  Beauregard,  gives  a  brief  account  of  the  affair : 

MACON,  Jan.  7,  1865. 
To  General  S.  COOPER,  Adjutant  and  Inspector  General : 

General  Hood  reports  from  Spring  Hill,  December  27,  1864, 
that  on  the  morning  of  the  15th  instant,  in  front  of  Nashville, 
the  enemy  attacked  both  flanks  of  his  army.  They  were  re 
pulsed  on  the  right  with  heavy  loss,  but  towards  evening  they 
drove  in  his  infantry  outposts  on  the  left  flank. 

Early  on  the  16th,  the  enemy  made  a  general  attack  on  his 
entire  line.  All  their  assaults  were  handsomely  repulsed  with 
heavy  loss  until  half-past  six  p.  M.,  when  a  portion  of  our  line 
to  the  left  of  the  centre  suddenly  gave  way,  causing  our  lines 
to  give  way  at  all  points,  our  troops  retreating  rapidly.  Fifty 


396  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

pieces  of  artillery  and  several  ordnance  wagons  were  lost  by 
us  on  that  day.  Our  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  heretofore 
small — in  prisoners,  not  ascertained.  Major-general  Edward 
Jackson,  and  Brigadier-generals  T.  B.  Smith,  and  II.  R.  Jack 
son  are  captured. 

G.  T.  BEATJREGARD,  General. 

General  Hood  recrossed  the  Tennessee  at  Florence,  General 
Forrest  covering  his  retreat,  and  was  at  Tupelo  on  the  6th  of 
January,  1865,  where,  on  the  23d,  he  took  leave  of  the  army 
in  the  following  order  : 

HEADQUARTERS,  ARMY  OF  THE  TENNESSEE,) 
TUPELO,  Miss.,  Jan.  23,  18G5.     J 

SOLDIERS — At  my  request,  I  have  this  day  been  relieved 
from  the  command  of  the  army.  In  taking  leave  of  you,  ac 
cept  rny  thanks  for  the  patience  with  which  you  have  endured 
your  hardships  during  the  recent  campaign.  I  arn  alone 
responsible  for  its  conception,  and  strove  hard  to  do  my  duty 
in  its  execution.  I  urge  upon  you  the  importance  of  giving 
yonr  entire  support  to  the  distinguished  soldier  who  now  as 
sumes  command,  and  shall  look  with  deep  interest  on  all  your 
future  operations,  and  rejoice  at  your  success. 

J.  B.  HOOD. 


GENERAL  ALBERT  SYDNEY  JOHNSTON. 


THE  short  career  of  this  gallant  officer,  in  the  Confederate 
army,  prevents  the  same  extended  notice  of  his  life,  that  others 
of  his  rank  have  been  considered  entitled  to,  and  which  their 
services  have  demanded.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1803,  in 
Macon  county,  Kentucky,  and  received  his  early  education  at  the 
Transylvania  University,  in  that  State,  under  President  Holley. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  entered  West  Point  Academy  as  a 
cadet,  and  graduated  on  the  30th  of  June,  1826,  standing  num 
ber  eight  in  bis  class.  He  was  then  brevetted  second-lieutenant 
of  the  Second  infantry,  but  was  subsequently  transferred,  in 
1827,  to  the  Sixth  infantry,  and  served  as  Adjutant  to  his 
regiment  from  1828  to  1832.  From  the  8th  of  May  to  the 
year  1833,  he  was  Aid  to  Brigadier-general  Atkinson  :  and 
during  a  part  of  that  time  he  was  acting  as  Assistant  Adju 
tant-general  of  Illinois  Volunteers,  in  the  Black  Hawk  War. 
With  these  forces,  President,  then  Captain  Lincoln,  also 
served. 

On  May  31st,  1834,  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  regu 
lar  army,  and  went  to  reside  in  Missouri.  In  1836  he  emi 
grated  to  Texas,  arriving  there  shortly  after  the  battle  of  San 
Jacinto.  There,  alone,  and  perfectly  unknown,  he  determined 
to  begin  a  new  career.  We  may  not  stop  to  inquire  what  were 
the  motives  which  induced  him  to  leave  the  United  States'  ser 
vice.  In  all  ages,  and  throughout  all  forms  of  government, 
merit  and  perseverance,  even  when  acknowledged,  do  not  al 
ways  find  a  reward.  It  is  wise,  therefore,  in  a  world  so  wide,  for 
a  brave  soul  to  rise  above  disappointment,  and  try  new  fields, 
where  pent-up  energies  may  have  full  play.  There  was,  it  is 
true,  plenty  of  room  even  in  his  native  State,  for  action  ;  but 


398  SOUTHERN"   GENEKALS. 

the  lands  of  Texas,  and  its  peculiarly  romantic  charms — its 
wild  and  daring  life — probably  presented  greater  inducement 
to  a  nature  like  Johnston's,  which  felt  itself,  perhaps,  too 
cramped  under  the  military  control  of  a  more  settled  govern 
ment. 

At  the  time  when  Johnston  entered  Texas,  an  intestine  war 
was  raging ;  and,  without  hesitation,  he  entered  the  Republican 
army,  in  General  Rusk's  division,  as  a  private  soldier.  The 
general  speedily  discovered  his  abilities,  and  made  him  Adju 
tant-general  of  his  command.  Subsequently,  he  was  made 
senior  Brigadier-general  of  the  Texan  army,  and  was  ap 
pointed  to  succeed  General  Felix  Houston,  in  the  chief  com 
mand.  This  led  to  a  duel  between  them,  in  which  Johnston 
was  wounded.  In  1838,  he  was  chosen  Secretary  of  War  of 
the  new  Republic,  under  President  Lamar ;  and,  the  follow 
ing  year,  he  organized  an  expedition  against  the  Cherokees, 
seven  hundred  strong,  who  were  defeated  at  a  battle  on  the 
Neuches. 

In  1840  he  retired  from  the  service,  and  settled  on  a  planta 
tion,  in  Brazonia  county,  near  Galveston.  Here  he  remained 
quietly,  attending  to  his  new  home,  for  two  or  three  years, 
and  during  that  time  always  advocating  the  annexation  of 
Texas  to  the  United  States.  At  length,  when  the  Mexican 
war  broke  out,  he  once  more,  in  1846,  and,  at  the  request  of 
General  Taylor,  allowed  his  daring  spirit  to  find  its  vent  on  the 
battlefield.  He  arrived  in  Mexico  shortly  after  the  battles  of 
Resaca  and  Palo-Alto,  and  was  elected  Colonel  of  the  First 
Texas  regiment,  serving  as  such  from  June  ISth,  to  August 
21th,  1846.  After  that  regiment  was  discharged,  he  was  ap 
pointed  Aid,  and  Inspector-general  to  General  Butler.  In  that 
capacity  he  was  at  the  famous  battle  of  Monterey,  and,  during 
the  fight,  his  horse  was  three  times  shot  under  him.  For  his 
conduct  on  that  day,  he  was  recommended  by  General  Taylor, 
for  the  appointment  of  Brigadier-general ;  but  the  position 
was  bestowed  upon  Caleb  Gushing. 

After  this  he  retired  to  his  plantation,  cultivating  the  earth 
with  his  own  hands,  in  the  truly  honest  and  noble  occupation 
of  a  farmer,  on  his  own  land.  His  circumstances,  however, 
were  not  good  ;  and  when  Taylor  was  made  President,  that 
gallant  old  general  forgot  not  Johnston,  but,  on  October  31st, 


GEXKRA.L    ALBERT    SYDNEY    JOHNSTON.  399 

1849,  bestowed  upon  him  the  appointment  of  Paymaster  of  the 
regular  army,  with  the  rank  of  major. 

When  the  army  was  increased  by  four  new  regiments,  the 
Texas  Legislature  asked  that  he  should  be  appointed  one  of  the 
colonels,  and,  accordingly,  Jefferson  Davis,  then  Secretary  of 
War,  gave  him  command  of  the  Second  Cavalry,  with  his 
headquarters  at  San  Antonio,  Texas.  There  he  still  further 
displayed  his  military  talents,  and  won  the  confidence  of  the 
country,  by  the  vigorous  and  successful  warfare  he  initiated 
against  the  wild  tribes  of  Indians,  who  were  constantly  en 
gaged  in  marauding  forays  upon  the  early  settlers. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1857  he  was  appointed,  by  President 
Buchanan,  to  the  command  of  the  Utah  Expedition,  sent  to 
quell  the  Mormons,  who  had  shown  much  disturbance.  It  was 
in  September  that  he  started  upon  this  expedition,  and  the 
perils  which  he  and  his  followers  encountered  are  well  known. 
On  the  6th  of  November,  being  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  they 
were  overtaken  by  a  snow-storm  of  such  fury,  that  it  "racked 
the  bones  of  his  men,  and  starved  the  oxen,  horses,  and  mules." 
The  snow  was  from  two  to  four  feet  deep,  and  the  thermometer 
from  sixteen  to  eighteen  degrees  below  zero  for  ninety  days  af- 
wards.  But  they  pursued  the  march,  making  only  thirty-five 
miles  in  fifteen  days,  and  when  they  went  into  camp,  sub 
sisted  on  mules,  without  bread  or  salt,  until  provisions  were 
sent  by  Government,  in  the  following  spring.  The  troops 
suffered  from  cold  and  hunger  to  a  great  extent ;  but  the  Col 
onel  fared  no  better  than  his  men  during  that  period. 

In  the  spring  of  1858,  he  crossed  the  plains,  and  arrived  at 
Salt  Lake  City,  where  the  ability,  zeal,  and  energy  he  dis 
played,  caused  him  to  be  brevetted  Brigadier-general  (dating 
from  November,  1847),  and  full  commander  of  the  military 
district  of  Utah. 

When  the  Mormon  troubles  were  ended,  General  Johnston 
was  sent  to  California  ;  and,  on  the  death  of  General  Clarke, 
assumed  command  of  the  department  of  the  Pacific.  There  he 
remained  until,  hearing  that  his  adopted  State,  Texas — where 
his  home  and  his  farm  belonged — had  passed  the  Ordinance  of 
Secession,  he  resigned  his  position  in  the  United  States  army, 
and  at  once  prepared  to  remove  South,  to  assist  in  repelling  the 
threatened  invasion  by  the  North. 


400  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

It  is  stated,  that  "on  the  inception  of  the  war,  General 
Scott,  fully  aware  of  the  great  military  genius  of  Albert  Syd 
ney  Johnston,  made  a  vigorous,  but  ineffectual  effort,  to  secure 
his  services  for  the  Federal  Government,  tendering  him  the 
chief  command,  to  which  his  seniority  and  rank,  according  to 
army  regulations,  entitled  him.  But  Johnston  nobly  rejected 
the  offer  :  he  would  not  sell  his  birthright  and  his  home." 
Measures  were,  therefore,  taken  to  have  him  arrested  before  he 
could  join  the  South.  Vessels,  with  officials  on  board,  were 
directed  to  intercept  his  passage  by  sea  ;  but  this  coming  to 
his  knowledge,  he  took  the  overland  route,  and  thus  avoided 
an  arrest.  Perhaps  one  secret  reason  for  attempting  to  seize 
him  was,  from  the  fact  of  his  being  a  kinsman  of  Mr.  Floyd, 
who,  it  is  said,  had  some  influence  in  getting  him  placed  in  the 
command  at  California.  General  Su inner  had  already  been 
dispatched' to  supersede  him,  on  the  first  signs  of  strife;  but 
Johnston,  with  three  or  four  companions,  increased  afterwards 
to  one  hundred,  on  mules,  proceeded  by  way  of  Arizona.  He 
left  Los  Angelos  the  2d  of  July,  1861,  passed  through  Texas,  and 
arrived  at  New  Orlea-ns  in  safety.  This  was  in  August,  1861, 
and  immediately  proceeding,  via  Memphis,  to  Richmond,  he 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  department  of  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee,  with  the  rank  of  General.  lie  being  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  and  his  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Western  coun 
try,  coupled  with  his  great  ability,  rendered  his  appointment 
to  this  position  specially  appropriate. 

General  Johnston  at  once  proceeded  to  his  command  ;  and, 
as  Kentucky,  though  before  professedly  neutral,  had  now  as 
sembled  troops  to  threaten  the  borders  of  Tennessee,  he  felt  no 
hesitation  in  making  his  headquarters  at  Bowling  Green,  al 
ready  taken  possession  of  by  General  Buckner,  for  the  South. 

The  arrival  of  General  Johnston  in  the  west,  gave  great 
pleasure  to  the  upholders  of  the  Confederate  cause,  and  many 
high  expectations  were  formed  of  him.  But  his  own  anticipa 
tions  of  success  were  far  less  sanguine.  As  an  experienced 
military  man,  he  well  knew  the  immense  advantages  the  North 
possessed  in  resources  and  men,  besides  the  long  established 
organization  of  army  drill.  With  him  there  was  all  to  do,  and 
little  to  do  it  with.  Everything  was  new,  and  had  to  be 
fashioned  into  shape,  while  in  the  field  there  were  skilled  cap- 


GENEKAL    ALBERT    SYDNEY   JOHNSTON.  4:01 

tains  on  the  side  of  the  North,  fully  equal  to  those  arrayed 
against  them  in  behalf  of  the  South.  Buell  was  not  far  off,  in 
a  position  of  immense  strength,  with  an  army  said  to  be 
50,000  strong.  In  his  rear  was  the  Cumberland  river,  liable 
to  rise  at  any  moment,  and  to  admit  the  largest  class  steamers 
as  high  as  Nashville.  Then  there  was  the  Tennessee,  travers 
ing  the  entire  State,  and  capable  of  passing  gunboats  to  Ala 
bama;  while,  at  the  mouth  of  both  these  rivers — at  Paducah 
and  Smithfield — the  enemy  was  collecting  an  enormous  force, 
both  naval  and  military.  Thus  there  was  much  cause  for 
anything  but  the  exultant  hope  others  appeared  to  entertain 
upon  his  arrival:  his  own  failure  to  sympathize  in  this  feeling 
being  attributable,  in  great  measure,  to  his  peculiarly  unpre 
tending  character. 

Immediately  upon  assuming  his  command,  General  John 
ston  issued  the  following  proclamation  : 

"  Whereas,  the  armed  occupation  of  a  part  of  Kentucky  by 
the  United  States,  and  the  preparations  which  manifest  the  in- 
tention  of  their  government  to  invade  the  Confederate  States 
through  that  territory,  have  imposed  it  on  these  last,  as  a  ne 
cessity  of  self-defence,  to  enter  that  State  and  meet  the  invasion 
upon  the  best  line  for  military  operations-;  and,  whereas,  it  is 
proper  that  the  motives  of  the  government  of  the  Confederate 
States  in  taking  this  step  should  be  fully  known  to  the  world  ; 
now,  therefore,  I,  Albert  S.  Johnston,  general  and  commander 
of  the  Western  Department  of  the  Army  of  the  Confederate 
States  of  America,  do  proclaim  that  these  States  have  thus 
marched  their  troops  into  Kentucky  with  no  hostile  intention 
towards  its  people,  nor  do  they  desire  or  seek  to  control  their 
choice  in  regard  to  their  union  with  either  of  the  confeder 
acies,  or  to  subjugate  their  State  or  hold  its  soil  against  their 
wishes.  On  the  contrary,  they  deem  it  to  be  the  right  of  the 
people  of  Kentucky  to  determine  their  own  position  in  regard 
to  the  belligerents.  It  is  for  them  to  say  whether  they  will 
join  either  the  confederacy,  or  maintain  a  separate  existence  as 
independent  sovereign  State.  The  armed  occupation  of  their 
soil,  both  as  to  its  extent  and  duration,  will,  therefore,  be 
strictly  limited  to  the  exigencies  of  self-defence  on  the  part  of 
the  Confederate  States.  These  States  intend  to  conform  to  all 
the  requirements  of  public  law  and  international  amity  as  be- 

26 


402  SOUTHERN    GENEKALS. 

twecn  themselves  and  Kentucky,  and,  accordingly,  I  hereby 
command  all  who  are  subject  to  my  orders  to  pay  entire  re 
spect  to  the  rights  of  property  and  the  legal  authorities  within 
that  State,  so  far  as  the  same  may  be  compatible  with  the  ne 
cessities  of  self-defence.  If  it  be  the  desire  of  the  people  of 
Kentucky  to  maintain  a  strict  and  impartial  neutrality,  then 
the  effort  to  drive  out  the  lawless  intruders,  who  seek  to  make 
their  State  the  theatre  of  war,  will  aid  them  in  the  attainment 
of  their  wishes.  If,  as  it  may  not  be  unreasonable  to  suppose, 
these  people  desire  to  unite  their  fortunes  with  the  Confederate 
States,  to  whom  they  are  already  bound  by  so  many  ties  of  in 
terest,  then  the  appearance  and  aid  of  Confederate  troops  will 
assist  them  to  make  an  opportunity  for  the  free  and  unbiased 
expression  of  their  will  upon  the  subject.  But  if  it  be  true, 
which  is  not  to  be  presumed,  that  a  majority  of  those  people 
desire  to  adhere  to  the  United  States,  and  become  parties  to 
the  war,  then  none  can  doubt  the  right  of  the  other  belliger 
ent  to  meet  that  war  whenever  and  wherever  it  may  be  waged. 
But,  harboring  no  such  suspicion,  I  now  declare,  in  the  name 
of  the  government  which  I  serve,  that  its  army  will  be  with 
drawn  from  Kentucky  so  soon  as  there  shall  be  satisfactory 
evidence  of  the  existence  and  execution  of  a  like  intention  on 
the  part  of  the  United  States. 

By  order  of  the  President  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America. 

A.  S.  JOHNSTON, 

General,  commanding  the  Western  Department  of  the  Army  of  the  Confeder 
ate  States  of  America." 


The  work  of  General  Johnston,  for  the  remainder  of  the  year, 
was  to  strengthen  his  position  and  ascertain  the  intentions  of 
the  enemy.  His  own  forces  had  been  considerably  magnified, 
not  only  to  deceive  his  foe,  but  to  inspire  hope  among  friends; 
but  he  constantly  kept  the  war  department  at  Richmond  well 
informed  of  the  truth.  Had  that  truth  really  been  known  to 
the  enemy,  at  the  time,  it  is  very  probable  that  Buell  could 
have  easily  ovewhelmed  Johnston's  army ;  but,  it  was  so  dis 
guised  that  the  Federal  commander  determined  to  try  and 
take  him  on  the  rear,  and,  accordingly,  measures  were  adopted 
to  capture  Fort  Donelson.  At  this  period,  General  Beaure- 
gard  arrived  in  the  west,  and  a  conference  was  immediately  held 


GENERAL    ALBKRT    SYDNEY   JOHNSTON.  403 

between  the  two  generals.  Beauregarcl  expressed  surprise  at 
the  small  number  of  Johnston's  forces,  and  fully  agreed  with 
him  in  the  plans  he  had  formed.  These  were  to  try  and 
secure  Nashville  by  fighting  at  Fort  Donelson,  and  Johnston 
sent  the  larger  part  of  his  army  thither  for  the  purpose,  retain 
ing  only  about  14,000  men,  to  cover  his  'front,  and  of  those, 
3,000  were  so  enfeebled  by  recent  sickness  that  they  were  un 
able  to  march.  General  Pillow,  and  afterwards  General 
Floyd,  were  placed  in  command  of  the  fort,  and  General 
Buckner  in  the  field. 

The  details  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Donelson  do  not  belong  to  this 
sketch,  but  we  may  give  the  following  extracts  concerning  it 
from  the  official  reports  of  Generals  Floyd  and  Pillow. 
General  Grant  was  in  command  of  the  assailants,  and,  previous 
to  Floyd's  arrival,  General  Pillow  had  made  various  prepara 
tions  to  resist  Grant.  The  reports  then  mention  the  occurren 
ces  of  the  three  days'  fighting  that  ensued,  and  go  on  to  say  : 

"We  had  now  only  about  12,000  troops,  all  told.  Of  these 
a  large  proportion  we  had  lost  in  the  three  battles.  The  com 
mand  had  been  in  the  trenches  night  and  day  for  five  days, 
exposed  to  the  snow,  sleet,  mud  and  ice-water,  without  shelter, 
and  without  adequate  covering,  and  without  sleep. 

"  In  this  condition  the  general  officers  held  a  consultation  to 
determine  what  he  should  do.  General  Buckner  held  it  as  his 
decided  opinion  that  he  could  not  hold  his  position  one  half  an 
hour  against  an  assault  of  the  enemy,  and  said  the  enemy 
would  attack  him  next  morning  at  daylight.  The  proposition 
was  then  made  by  the  undersigned  to  again  fight  through  the 
enemy's  line  and  cut  our  way  out.  General  Buckner  said  his 
command  was  so  worn  out,  and  cut  to  pieces,  and  demoralised, 
that  he  could  not  make  another  fight;  that  it  would  cost  the 
command  three-quarters  of  its  present  numbers  to  cut  its 
way  through,  and  it  was  wrong  to  sacrifice  three-quarters  of  a 
command  to  save  one-quarter  ;  that  no  officer  had  a  right  to 
cause  such  a  sacrifice.  General  Floyd  and  Major  Gilmer  I 
understood  to  concur  in  this  opinion. 

"  I  then  expressed  the  opinion  that  we  could  hold  out  another 
day,  and  in  that  time  we  could  get  steamboats  and  set  the  com 
mand  over  the  river,  and  probably  save  a  large  portion  of  it. 
To  this  General  Buckner  replied  that  the  enemy  would  cer- 


404:  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

tainly  attack  him  at  daylight,  and  that  he  could  not  hold  his 
position  half  an  hour.  The  alternative  of  the  propositions  was 
a  surrender  of  their  position  and  command.  General  Floyd 
said  that  he  would  neither  surrender  the  command  nor  would 
he  surrender  himself  a  prisoner.  I  had  taken  the  same  posi 
tion.  General  Buckner  said  he  was  satisfied  nothing  else 
could  be  done,  and  that,  therefore  he  would  surrender  -if 
placed  in  command.  General  Floyd  said  he  would  turn  over 
the  command  to  him  if  he  could  be  allowed  to  withdraw  his 
command.  To  this  General  Buckner  consented.  Thereupon, 
General  Floyd  turned  the  command  over  to  me,  I  passing  it 
instantly  to  General  Buckner,  saying  I  would  neither  surren 
der  the  command  nor  myself  a  prisoner.  I  directed  Colonel 
Forrest  to  cut  his  way  out.  Under  these  circumstances, 
General  Buckner  accepted  the  command  and  sent  a  flag  of 
truce  to  the  enemy  for  an  armistice  of  six  hours  to  negotiate 
for  terms  of  capitulation.  Before  this  flag  and  communication 
was  delivered  I  retired  from  the  garrison." 

The  fall  of  Fort  Donelson  made  the  evacuation  of  Bowling 
Green  imperative  on  General  Johnston.  He  had  waited  the 
result,  opposite  Nashville,  and,  on  the  15th  of  February,  at 
midnight,  he  received  news  of  a  great  victory, — at  dawn  intel 
ligence  of  a  defeat !  Thus  situated,  he  determined  to  unite  his 
forces  with  those  under  General  Beauregard,  and,  as  he  con 
ceived  Nashville  was  incapable  of  defence  under  the  circum 
stances,  he  left  a  rearguard  under  General  Floyd,  and  fell  back 
to  Murfreesboro.  There  he  managed  to  collect  an  army  able 
to  offer  battle;  but  the  weather  was  so  inclement,  and  the 
floods  in  the  river  such  as  to  wash  the  bridges  awray,  that 
nothing  effective  could  be  accomplished.  He,  therefore, 
inarched  on,  and  crossed  the  Tennessee,  at  Decatur,  in  Ala 
bama,  early  in  March,  and  soon  afterwards  a  portion  of  his 
army  joined  the  forces  of  Beauregard  under  Bragg's  command. 

In  regard  to  Fort  Donelson,  it  is  but  just  to  General  John 
ston  to  give  place  to  a  few  words  from  himself,  inasmuch  as 
some  severe  remarks  were  made  respecting  him  at  the  time. 
In  a  letter  written  to  Mr.  Barksdale,  member  of  the  Confed 
erate  Congress,  from  Mississippi,  he  says,  after  mentioning 
previous  occurrences : 


GENERAL  ALBERT  SYDNEY  JOHNSTON.  405 

"  I  have  given  this  sketch,  so  that  you  may  appreciate  the 
embarrassments  which  surrounded  me  in  my  attempts  to  avert 
or  remedy  the  disaster  of  Fort  Donelson. 

"The  blow  is  most  disastrous,  and  almost  without  remedy. 
I,  therefore,  in  my  first  report,  remained  silent.  This  silence 
you  were  kind  enough  to  attribute  to  my  generosity.  I  will 
not  lay  claim  to  the  motive  to  excuse  my  course.  I  observed 
silence,  as  it  seemed  to  me  the  best  way  to  serve  the  brave  and 
the  country.  The  facts  were  not  fully  known — discontent  pre 
vailed,  and  criticism  or  condemnation  were  more  likely  to 
augment  than  to  cure  the  evil.  I  refrained,  well  knowing 
that  heavy  censures  would  fall  upon  me,  but  convinced  that 
it  was  better  to  endure  them  for  the  present,  and  defer  to  a 
more  propitious  time,  an  investigation  of  the  conduct  of  the 
generals,  for,  in  the  mean  time,  their  services  are  required  and 
their  influences  useful.  For  these  reasons,  Generals  Floyd  and 
Pillow  were  assigned  to  duty,  for  I  still  felt  confidence  in  their 
gallantry,  their  energy,  arid  their  devotion  to  the  Confederacy. 

"  The  test  of  merit,  in  iny  profession,  with  the  people,  is  suc 
cess.  It  is  a  hard  rule,  but  I  think  it  right.  If  I  join  this 
corps  to  the  forces  of  General  Beauregard  (I  confess  a  hazard 
ous  experiment^,  then  those  who  are  now  disclaiming  against 
me  will  be  without  an  argument.  Your  friend, 

"A.  S.  JOHNSTON." 

General  Beauregard  had  concentrated  his  men  at  and  around 
Corinth,  and  the  united  forces  were  prepared,  early  in  April, 
to  strike  a  heavy  blow  at  the  enemy,  which  was  attempted  on 
the  field  of  Shiloh. 

The  battle  of  Shiloh  has  already  been  mentioned,  and  we 
need  now  only  allude  to  the  manner  of  General  Johnston's 
death.  On  the  6th  of  April,  the  army  marched  on  the  enemy. 
The  ground  was  broken  and  undulating,  and  covered,  in  a 
great  measure,  by  lofty  trees,  without  any  undergrowth.  Mile 
after  mile,  the  Confederates  rushed  on,  sweeping  the  camps  of 
the  enemy  before  them.  General  Johnston  was  in  the  advance, 
before  the  troops  of  Breckinridge  and  Bowen.  He  had  ad 
dressed  them  in  a  few  brief  words,  and  given  the  order  to 
"  Charge !"  when  at  two  o'clock,  a  minie  ball  cut  the  artery 
of  his  leg.  Still  he  rode  on  until,  from  loss  of  blood,  he  fell, 


406  SOUTHERN  GENERALS. 

exhausted,  into  the  arms  of  Governor  Harris,  who  carefully 
bore  him  a  short  distance  from  the  field,  into  a  ravine,  and 
reclined  him  in  his  lap.  The  general's  staff  had  been  mingled 
with  others,  but  now  rode  up  to  seek  for  him.  Stimulants 
were  speedily  administered,  but  in  vain.  The  last  words  he 
uttered  were,  just  after  he  was  shot,  "Governor,  I  believe  I 
am  seriously  wounded  !"  Nowr,  he  w^as  totally  unconscious. 
A  member  of  his  staff,  Colonel  Wm.  Preston,  in  an  agony  of 
grief,  threw  his  arms  around  him,  and  called  aloud  to  see  if  he 
would  respond,  or  know  who  were  around.  But  no  sign,  or 
reply  came,  and  in  a  moment  or  two  more,  he  quietly  breathed 
liis  last,  at  half  past  two  P.  M.  April  6th,  18(>2. 

His  body  was  borne  from  the  field  by  his  staff  officers,  and 
intrusted  to  Colonel  Preston,  by  General  Beauregard,  to  be 
taken  to  New  Orleans,  until  directions  should  be  received  from 
his  family.  The  fact  of  his  death,  however,  was  for  some  time 
concealed  from  the  army;  and  a  mistake  arose  on  the  part  of 
the  enemy  in  supposing  that  his  body  was  found  on  the  field. 
There  was  one  General  Geo.  W.  Johnston — the  provisional 
governor  of  Kentucky — in  the  battle,  and  he  also  fell  mortally 
wounded.  This  gentleman  was  met  in  his  dying  moments  by 
General  McCook,  of  the  Federal  army,  as  the  latter  was  ad 
vancing,  and,  taking  him  up  in  his  arms  with  that  kindly 
feeling  which  few  brave  soldiers  ever  fail  to  show  towards 
friend  or  foe  at  such  a  time,  asked  his  name.  The  answer, 
probably,  led  to  the  mistake  about  General  Johnston.  As  soon 
as  it  was  deemed  expedient  to  publish  his  death,  the  following 
general  order  was  issued  from  headquarters,  at  Corinth,  by 
General  Beauregard : 

HEADQUARTERS,  ARMY  OP  MISSISSIPPI,  ) 
CORINTH,  Miss.,  April  10,  1862.     J 

SOLDIERS — Your  late  Commander-in-chief,  General  A.  S. 
Johnston,  is  dead  ;  a  fearless  soldier,  a  sagacious  captain,  a  re- 
proachless  man,  has  fallen.  One  who,  in  his  devotion  to  our 
cause,  shrank  from  no  sacrifice ;  one  who,  animated  by  a  sense 
of  duty,  and  sustained  by  a  sublime  courage,  challenged  dan 
ger,  and  perished  gallantly  for  his  country,  while  leading  for 
ward  his  brave  columns  to  victory.  His  signal  example  of 
heroism  and  patriotism,  if  imitated,  would  make  his  army 
invincible. 


GENERAL  ALBKRT  SYDNEY  JOHNSTON.  4:07 

A  grateful  country  will  mourn  his  loss,  revere  his  name,  and 
cherish  his  many  virtues. 

P.  G.  T.  BEAUREGARD, 

General  Commanding. 

At  Richmond,  on  arrival  of  the  news,  President  Davis  sent 
into  Congress  a  special  message  concerning  the  battle,  and 
particularly  referring  to  General  Johnston's  death.  He  says : 

"  But  an  all-wise  Creator  has  been  pleased,  while  vouchsafing 
to  us  His  countenance  in  battle,  to  afflict  us  with  a  severe  dis 
pensation,  to  which  we  must  bow  in  humble  submission.  The 
last  long,  lingering  hope  has  disappeared,  and  it  is  but  too 
true,  that  General  ALBERT  SYDNEY  JOHNSTON  is  no  more. 

"  My  long  and  close  friendship  with  this  departed  chieftain 
and  patriot,  forbid  me  to  trust  myself  in  giving  vent  to  the 
feelings  which  this  intelligence  has  evoked.  Without  doing 
injustice  to  the  living,  it  may  safely  be  said  that  our  loss  is 
irreparable.  Among  the  shining  hosts  of  the  great  and  good 
who  now  cluster  around  the  banner  of  our  country,  there  exists 
no  purer  spirit,  no  more  heroic  soul,  than  that  of  the  illustrious 
man  whose  death  I  join  you  in  lamenting. 

"In  his  death  he  has  illustrated  the  character  for  which, 
through  life,  he  was  conspicuous — that  of  singleness  of  purpose 
and  devotion  to  duty  with  his  whole  energies.  Bent  on  ob 
taining  the  victory  which  he  deemed  essential  to  his  country's 
cause,  he  rode  on  to  the  accomplishment  of  his  object,  forget 
ful  of  self,  wThile  his  very  life-blood  was  fast  ebbing  away. 
His  last  breath  cheered  his  comrades  on  to  victory.  The  last 
sound  he  heard  was  their  shout  of  victory.  His  last  thought 
was  his  country,  and  long  and  deeply  will  his  country  mourn 
his  loss. 

"JEFFERSON  DAVIS." 

When  the  remains  of  General  Johnston  reached  New  Orleans, 
then  in  possession  of  the  Confederate  forces,  they  were  escorted 
to  the  City  Hall  by  the  military,  attended  by  the  governor  of 
Louisiana,  General  Lovell,  their  staffs,  and  other  prominent 
officers  and  gentlemen.  The  body  was  laid  in  state  in  the 
mayor's  parlor,  and  the  public  admitted.  Silence,  and  deep- 


408  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

felt,  unaffected  grief  marked  the  occasion.  Ladies  brought 
magnolias  and  other  flowers  with  which  they  encircled  his 
coffin  simply,  but  beautifully.  And  thus,  while  gentle  hands 
and  weeping  eyes  moved  softly  around  him, — his  sheathed 
sword  still  by  his  side — the  dead  warrior — the  hardy  cam 
paigner—the  industrious  farmer — the  adventurous  explorer— 
and  the  great  commander,  was  borne  to  his  final  and  eternal 

rest. 

#  •*  -x-  * 

The  appearance  of  General  Johnston  was  well  suited  to  his 
military  character — in  height,  over  six  feet,  and  with  a  large, 
sinewy  frame,  his  whole  appearance  was  commanding,  while 
his  manners  were,  occasionally,  very  silent  and  reserved,  and 
often  abstracted.  He  was  married,  and  had  a  son,  who,  in 
1863,  was  on  the  staff  of  President  Davis.  His  brother,  Jo- 
siah  Stoddard  Johnston,  a  man  of  the  most  eminent  abilities, 
was,  by  the  Confederate  cause  looked  upon  as  a  great  ally. 
He,  however,  met  a  violent  death  in  the  blowing  up  of  a 
steamboat  on  the  Red  river,  La.  This  brother  had  a  son,  J. 
S.  Johnston,  who  resided  near  Georgetown,  Kentucky,  but  was 
obliged  to  fly  to  Mobile,  in  August,  1862,  on  account  of  his 
sympathies  with  the  Confederacy.  Thus  the  fortunes  of  the 
whole  family,  like  that  of  so  many  others,  seem  to  have  been 
interwoven  with  the  cause  of  their  native  South. 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  LEONIDAS  POLK. 


THE  father  of  Leonidas  Polk  was  Colonel  William  Polk,  a 
highly  distinguished  soldier  in  the  revolutionary  war,  and  a 
near  relative  of  Thomas  Polk,  who  was  one  of  the  few  that 
issued  the  famous  Mecklenburg  declaration  of  indepen 
dence. 

Young  Polk  was  born  about  the  year  1806,  in  Raleigh, 
North  Carolina,  and,  after  receiving  the  first  rudiments  of  edu 
cation  in  his  native  State,  was  admitted  to  West  Point  as  a 
cadet  in  the  year  1823.  It  was  at  his  father's  wish  he  com 
menced  life  in  the  military  profession,  though  it  would  seem 
his  own  inclinations  led  him  subsequently  into  a  different  call 
ing.  On  the  30th  of  June,  1827,  he  graduated,  standing  No. 
8  in  his  class.  It  is  said  that  while  going  through  his  term  at 
the  academy,  he  was  induced  to  turn  from  the  military  profes 
sion  to  that  of  the  church,  at  the  instigation  of  Bishop  Mcll- 
vaine,  of  Ohio,  who  was  chaplain  of  that  institution  at  the 
time.  Certain  it  is,  however,  that,  though  he  was  appointed  a 
brevet  second-lieutenant  of  artillery,  and  remained  in  the  army 
a  few  months,  he  resigned,  and  commenced  studying  for  the 
ministry,  on  the  1st  December,  1827.  After  the  usual  ex 
amination,  he  was  admitted  to  holy  orders  in  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church,  and,  in  1838,  received  an  appointment  as 
Missionary  Bishop  in  Arkansas  and  part  of  the  Indian  terri 
tory,  with  a  provisional  charge  of  the  diocese  of  Alabama, 
Mississippi,  Louisiana,  and  the  Republic  of  Texas. 

His  movements  during  this  time  we  would  fain  record,  did 
our  space  permit.  The  wilds  of  the  frontier  regions  of  the 
West  embrace  many  scenes,  giving  to  such  a  man  as  the 
travelling  bishop,  or  itinerant  Methodist  preacher,  abundant 


SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

material  of  interest  and  adventure,  and  Bishop  Polk  must  have 
often  gone  through  all  the  numerous  and  exciting  incidents 
consequent  upon  the  lite  of  a  Western  missionary.  In  1841, 
however,  he  was  ordained  regular  Bishop  of  Louisiana,  and 
held  that  post  for  twenty  years.* 

The  events  that  occurred  during  this  period  are  matters  of 
general  history.  The  Mexican  war,  the  wars  with  the  Indians, 
and  the  several  changes  made  by  the  progress  of  civilization  in 
the  West,  belong  to  that  lime;  and  no  doubt  Bishop  Polk  par 
ticipated  largely  in  much  of  what  took  place,  for  a  mind  like 
his  could  hardly  have  remained  passive  under  such  stirring 
events. 

At  length  the  note  of  war  was  heard  in  his  own  land.     The 

O 

deadly  strife  between  North  and  South  commenced,  and  a 
Southern  Confederacy  was  formed.  President  Davis  applied 
to  Bishop  Polk  to  know  if  he  would  rejoin  the  army,  and,  it  is 
said  rirst  offered  him  the  appointment  of  a  brigadier-general, 
which  was  refused.  Ultimately,  however,  he  accepted  a 
major-generalship,  and  laying  aside  the  bishop's  robe,  donned 
the  garments  of  a  soldier.  His  reasons  for  this  have  been 
given  as  follows:  Bishop  Meade,  on  hearing  of  what  he  had 
done,  told  him  that  he  already  had  a  commission  in  a  very 
different  army  to  which  he  should  still  hold  allegiance  ;  but 
Polk  replied,  that  while  he  accepted  the  major-generalship  he 
did  not  intend  to  resign  his  right  to  the  bishopric.  "  When," 
said  he,  "I  accept  a  commission  in  the  Confederate  army,  I 
not  only  perform  the  duties  of  a  good  citizen,  but  contend  for 
the  principles  which  lie  at  the  foundation  of  our  social,  politi 
cal,  and  religious  polity." 

In  June,  1861,  the  new  major-general,  Bishop  Polk,  visited 
Richmond,  and  had  a  long  conference  with  President  Davis. 
He  then  returned  to  the  West,  and  took  up  his  command, 
which  extended  from  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas  river,  on  both 
sides  of  the  Mississippi,  to  the  northernmost  limits  of  the  Con 
federate  States,  and  took  in  the  encampment  at  Corinth.  His 
headquarters  were  at  Memphis,  and  thence  he  issued  his  first 


*  We  are  not  aware  when  Bishop  Polk  was  married,  but  his  wife  was  a  Miss 
Devereux,  of  Raleigh,  and  possibly  he  was  united  to  her  before  leaving  for  the 

West. 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    LEONIDAS    POLK.  411 

general  order,  dated  July  13th,  1861,  in  which  he  gives  some 
lengthy  reasons  for  taking  upon  himself  such  a  "  grave  respon 
sibility." 

In  commenting  upon  P>ishop  Folk's  appointment,  the  Mem 
phis  Appeal  remarks,  "  This  is  the  first  instance  in  the  coun 
try's  history  of  the  appointment  of  a  high  church  dignitary  to 
a  position  of  so  much  responsibility  in  the  military  service;'' 
and,  we  may  add,  that  it  was  an  appointment  far  from  being 
wise,  where  great  military  talent  and  experience  were  so  much 
needed. 

At  this  time,  General  Polk  presented  the  appearance  of  a 
tall,  well-built,  good-looking  man,  bearing  in  every  word  and 
glance  the  impress  of  a  soldier  more  than  the  divine.  His 
hair  was  slightly  gray,  and  his  whiskers  completely  so.  The 
eyes  were  gray,  deep  set,  keen,  and  penetrating;  nose,  rather 
of  the  Roman  order;  his  mouth  sunken,  with  lips  in  general 
tightly  compressed.  Affable  in  manner;  agreeable  in  con 
versation  ;  yet  determination  expressed  upon  his  countenance, 
such  was  the  military  bishop,  General  Polk. 

One  of  the  first  events  that  occurred  in  his  department,  af 
ter  taking  command,  was  the  capture,  at  Columbus,  in  Ken 
tucky,  of  the  steam  packet  Cheney.  She  had  been  conveying 
Federal  troops  up  the  river,  and  this  becoming  known,  she  was 
seized,  and  conveyed  to  Memphis,  as  a  prize.  A  few  days 
later,  hearing  that  General  Pillow,  then  at  New  Madrid,  was 
likely  to  be  in  danger  from  the  operations  of  large  Federal 
forces,  under  Lyon  and  Fremont,  General  Polk  immediately 
directed  seven  riverboats  to  be  used  for  the  purpose  of  con 
veying  him  and  his  troops  away.  This  was  promptly  done; 
and  the  whole  command  of  five  thousand  men,  safely  brought 
to  .Randolph,  near  headquarters,  at  Memphis.  But,  the  first 
event  here  mentioned,  was  denied,  by  General  Polk,  as  being 
under  his  authority.  Columbus  being  in  Kentucky,  and  that 
State  not  yet  having  openly  espoused  the  cause  of  the  North, 
this  was  made  one  of  the  subjects  of  correspondence  between 
a  committee  of  the  Kentucky  Senate,  and  General  Polk.  He 
had,  however,  now  marched  on  to  Columbus,  and  taken  pos 
session  of  the  place,  which  still  further  increased  the  difficulty. 
The  reasons  he  gave  for  so  doing  were,  that  it  was  a  military 
necessity,  arising  from  the  fact,  that  Kentucky  had  herself  dis- 


4:12  SOUTHERN    GENKKALS. 

regarded  neutrality,  by  permitting  Federal  troops  to  organize 
companies,  establish  depots  and  camps,  and  erect  military 
works.  This  was  put  forth  in  a  proclamation  he  issued  on  the 
4th  of  September,  and  also  in  a  letter  to  Governor  Magoffin, 
at  the  same  time  assuring  him  that  he  would  withdraw  the 
Confederate  forces  from  Kentucky,  if  she  would  agree  to  make 
the  Federals  do  the  same.  He  also  stated,  that  his  proceed 
ings  were  approved  by  President  Davis.  A  lengthy  corres 
pondence  followed,  which  produced  no  satisfactory  result,  and 
which  we  need  not  transcribe.  Polk  placed  Columbus  in  a 
good  state  of  defence,  General  Grant,  at  that  time,  being  with 
his  forces,  at  Cairo,  a  little  higher  up  the  river. 

Not  long  after  General  Grant  came  down  the  river  in  force, 
with  a  design  of  attacking  the  Confederates,  stationed  at  Bloom- 
field  and  New  Madrid,  under  General  Thompson.  At  3  A.  M., 
of  November  7th,  General  Polk  was  informed,  by  a  courier, 
that  the  enemy  had  landed  on  the  Missouri  shore,  five  or  six 
miles  above  the  small  village  of  Belmont.  This  led  him  to  ex- 

O 

pect  that  the  attack  would  become  general,  and  he  immedi 
ately  dispatched  instructions  to  division  officers.  Colonel  Tap- 
pan  was  in  command  of  the  small  force  at  Belmont,  and  Gen 
eral  Pillow  was  sent  by  Polk  to  his  relief,  across  the  river. 
General  Polk  then  examined  other  portions  of  his  command, 
and  found  that  General  Cown,  on  his  left  flank,  was  already 
well  prepared,  and  General  Cheatham  also  in  good  position. 
This  care  was  necessary,  lest  the  Federals  should  attack  him 
in  the  rear ;  fyut  it  was  likewise  needful  to  send  more  reinforce 
ments  to  Belmont ;  and  this  was  done  under  some  difficulty. 
The  fight,  however,  had  now  begun  at  Belmont,  and,  after  a 
well-contested  engagement,  ended  in  a  victory  to  the  South, 
though  this  was  denied  by  the  North.  General  A.  S.  Johnston, 
who  had  then  assumed  entire  command  of  the  department,  and 
was  at  Bowling  Green,  said  officially,  "This  was  no  ordinary 
shock  of  arms :  it  was  a  long,  and  trying  contest,  in  which  our 
troops  fought  by  detachments,  and  always  against  superior 
numbers.  The  7th  of  November  will  fill  a  bright  page  in  our 
military  annals,  and  be  remembered  with  gratitude  by  the  sons 
and  daughters  of  the  South." 

Polk's  official  dispatch  to  Richmond,  and  the  answer  re 
ceived  from  President  Davis  are  as  follows : 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    LEONIDAS    POLK.  413 

HEADQUARTERS,  FIBST  DIVISION  WESTERN  DEPARTMENT,) 
COLUMBUS,  KY.,  November  7,  1851.     J 

To  General  Headquarters,  through  General  A.  S.  JOHNSON  : 

The  enemy  came  down  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
Belmont,  to-day,  about  seven  thousand  strong,  landed,  under 
cover  of  gunboats,  attacked  Colonel  Tappan's  camp.  I  sent 
over  three  regiments,  under  General  Pillow,  to  his  relief;  then, 
at  intervals,  three  others  ;  then  General  Cheatham. 

I  then  took  over  two  others  in  person,  to  support  a  flank 
movement  which  I  had  directed.  It  was  a  hard-fought  battle, 
lasting  from  10.30  A.  M.,  to  5  p.  M.  They  took  Beltzhoover's 
battery,  four  pieces  of  which  were  recaptured.  The  enemy 
were  thoroughly  routed.  We  pursued  them  to  their  boats 
seven  miles,  then  drove  their  boats  before  us.  The  road  was 
strewn  with  their  dead  and  wounded,  guns,  ammunition,  and 
equipments.  Our  loss  considerable  ;  theirs  heavy. 

[Signed,]  L.  POLK, 

Major-general  commanding. 

RICHMOND,  November  8,  1861. 
To  MAJOR-GENERAL  POLK  : 

Your  telegraph  received.  Accept  for  yourself,  and  the  offi 
cers  and  men  under  your  command,  my  sincere  thanks  for  the 
glorious  contribution  you  have  just  made  to  our  common  cause. 
Our  countrymen  must  long  remember  gratefully  to  read  the 
activity  and  skill,  courage  and  devotion,  of  the  army  at  Bel- 

inont. 

[Signed,]  J.  DAVIS. 

A  few  days  after  this,  a  serious  accident  occurred,  which 
was  nearly  terminating  with  fatal  results  to  General  Polk.  A 
large  Dahlgren  gun  had  been  loaded  during  the  above-men 
tioned  battle,  but  not  fired.  It  was  discharged  on  the  llth, 
when  it  exploded,  caught  the  magazine  of  the  piece  which  was 
immediately  below  it,  and  killed  eight  men,  besides  seriously 
wounding  five  others.  Among  these  latter  was  General  Polk, 
who  was  knocked  down  senseless  by  the  concussion,  and  had 
his  clothes  literally  torn  off  him.  Fortunately,  he  soon  re 
covered,  and  without  other  injury. 

Through  the  remaining  part  of  the  year  1861,  nothing  more 


414  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

of  importance  connected  with  General  Polk  occurred.  Jan 
uary  passed  away  in  like  manner  ;  but,  in  February,  Forts 
Henry  and  Donelson  fell,  while  General  Polk  was  still  at  Co 
lumbus,  compelled  to  remain  and  guard  that  post  as  long  as  he 
could.  But  his  situation  soon  became  very  critical.  The  Fed 
erals  were  collecting  immense  forces  in  Kentucky  and  Missouri, 
and  it  was  clearly  seen  by  General  Polk — General  Johnson 
having  already  commenced  retreating  south — that  to  hold  Co 
lumbus  any  longer  was  hardly  possible.  Accordingly,  a  hav 
ing  received  instructions  from  the  War  Department,  through 
General  Beauregard,  to  evacuate  the  place,  and  select  a  defen 
sive  position  lower  down,"  it  was  done.  On  the  1st  of  March 
the  troops  moved,  General  Stuart's  brigade  going  by  steamer, 
to  New  Madrid,  and  the  remainder  marching  by  land,  to  Union 
City,  under  General  Cheatham.  General  Polk  remained  until 
the  next  day,  to  supervise  the  completion  of  the  work,  and 
then,  at  3  P.  M.,  himself  and  staff  followed  the  rear  column. 
He  retreated  by  the  way  of  Humbolt,  towards  Corinth,  where 
the  principal  portion  of  the  armies  of  the  West,  under  Generals 
Beauregard,  Johnson,  and  himself,  were  to  unite.  This  was 
accomplished  by  the  beginning  of  April  ;  and  General  Polk  was 
placed  in  command  of  one  of  the  three  grand  corps  cParmee 
into  which  the  forces  were  divided. 

The  battle  of  Shiloh  followed,  on  the  6th  of  April.  It  has 
already  been  described  in  previous  sketches,  and  all  we  need 
say  now  is,  that  the  commander-in-chief,  General  1  Beauregard, 
very  highly  complimented  "Major-general  Polk  for  the  zeal, 
intelligence,  and  energy  with  which  all  orders  were  executed, 
and  fur  the  foresight  and  military  ability  displayed,  as  \vell  as 
for  his  fearless  deportment,  in  personally  leading  his  command 
against  the  adversary."  The  army  nowr  retreated  to  Corinth, 
and,  when  that  place  was  evacuated,  the  30th  of  May,  Polk's 
corps  proceeded,  in  accordance  with  orders,  to  Baldwin  and 
Tupelo.  General  Bragg  was  now  appointed  in  command  of 
the  department,  and  Polk's  forces  accompanied  the  army  in 
its  movements  through  Tennessee,  and  into  Kentucky,  as  pre 
viously  described  in  our  sketch  of  General  Bragg.  The  march 
was  long,  rough,  and  weary,  but  not  without  its  charms,  for  it 
was  amidst  some  of  the  wildest  and  most  magnificent  scenery 
to  be  found.  Passing  Chattanooga — crossing  the  Tennessee 


LIEUTKN ANT-GENERAL    LEONIDAS    POLK.  415 

at  Harrison — on  through  the  mountain  passes  of  the  Xorth, — 
the  army  finally  reached  Frankfort,  in  the  beginning  of  Octo 
ber.  At  the  same  time  the  Federal  forces  arrived  to  attack 
the  rear  of  Bragg's  army,  stationed  at  Perry  ville  ;  and  on  the 
8th  of  October  a  battle  took  place.  Folk's  forces,  under 
Cheatham  and  Withers,  formed  the  Confederate  right  wing, 
and  well  did  they  sustain  their  previous  reputation. 

The  following  incident  connected  with  this  battle  we  will 
give,  as  far  as  possible,  in  the  words  of  General  Folk,  as  he  re 
lated  it  to  a  foreign  military  officer  afterwards  visiting  him  : 

"Well,  sir,"  said  Polk,  "it  was  at  the  battle  of  Perry  ville, 
late  in  the  evening — in  fact,  it  was  almost  dark  when  Liddel's 
brigade  came  into  action.  Shortly  after  its  arrival,  I  observed 
a  body  of  men,  whom  I  believed  to  be  Confederates,  standing 
at  an  angle  to  this  brigade,  and  firing  obliquely  at  the  newly 
arrived  troops.  I  said,  "Dear  me,  this  is  very  sad,  and  must 
be  stopped,'  so  I  turned  round,  but  could  find  none  of  my  young 
men,  who  were  absent  on  different  messages;  so  I  determined 
to  ride  myself  and  settle  the  matter.  Having  cantered  up  to 
the  colonel  of  the  regiment,  which  was  firing,  I  asked  him,  in 
angry  tones,  what  he  meant  by  shooting  his  own  friends,  and  I 
desired  him  to  cease  doing  so  at  once.  He  answered  with  sur 
prise,  '  I  don't  think  there  can  be  any  mistake ;  I  am  sure  they 
are  the  enemy.' 

"  4  Enemy  !'  I  said  ;  '  why  I  have  only  just  left  them  myself. 
Cease  firing,  sir:  what  is  your  name,  sir?' 

"'My  name  is  Colonel  -  — ,  of  the  Indiana;  and 

pray,  sir,  who  are  you?' 

"  Then,  for  the  first  time  I  saw,  to  my  astonishment,  that  he 
was  a  Yankee,  and  I  was  in  rear  of  a  regiment  of  Yankees. 
Well ;  I  saw  there  was  no  hope  but  to  brazen  it  out.  My  dark 
blouse,  and  the  increasing  obscurity  befriended  me;  so  I  ap 
proached  quite  close  to  him,  and  shook  my  fist  in  his  face,  say 
ing,  l  Fll  soon  show  you  who  I  am,  sir !  Cease  firing,  sir,  at 
once.'  I  then  turned  my  horse,  and  cantered  slowly  down  the 
line,  shouting  in  an  authoritative  manner  to  the  Yankees  to 
cease  firing ;  at  the  same  time  I  experienced  a  disagreeable 
sensation,  like  screwing  up  .my  back,  and  calculating  how 
many  bullets  would  be  between  my  shoulders  every  moment. 
I  was  afraid  to  increase  my  pace  until  I  got  to  a  small  copse, 


416  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

when  I  put  the  spurs  in  and  galloped  back  to  my  men.  I  im 
mediately  went  up  to  the  nearest  colonel,  and  said  to  him, 
*  Colonel,  I  have  reconnoitered  those  fellows  pretty  closely,  and 
I  find  there  is  no  mistake  who  they  are;  you  may  get  up  and 
go  at  them.'  And  I  assure  you,  sir,  that  the  slaughter  of  that 
Indiana  regiment  was  the  greatest  I  have  ever  seen  in  the 
war."* 

The  army  now  moved  from  Kentucky  into  Tennessee  again, 
General  Bra^g  leaving  the  whole  conduct  of  the  retreat  to 

c^O  " 

General  Polk.  At  early  dawn  of  the  12th  of  October,  the 
troops  had  reached  Bryantsville,  and  from  this  place  the  scene 
presented  was  something  extraordinarily  picturesque  and  strik 
ing  as  the  immense  cavalcade  passed  on.  "Ammunition 
trains,  and  batteries  of  captured  artillery  had  preceded  ;  and 
following  them  were  trains  of  goods,  wares,  merchandise,  pro 
visions,  army  stores,  captured  muskets,  escorts  of  cavalry,  and 
artillery  drawn  by  oxen.  Then  came  private  trains  of  refugee 
families,  flying  with  their  negroes  for  safety — ladies  and  chil 
dren  in  carriages,  stage-coaches,  express  wagons,  omnibuses, 
buggies,  ambulances,  Jersey-wagons,  and  every  kind  of  vehicle 
imaginable.f  After  this  came  the  wagons  of  the  different  bri 
gades  of  General  Smith's  army,  with  infantry,  cavalry,  and 
artillery  in  the  rear.  Intermixed  with  the  throng  were  thou 
sands  of  cattle,  horses,  and  mules." 

The  enemy  was  in  pursuit,  and  it  was  necessary  to  urge  on 
the  teams  night  and  day  for  fear  of  capture.  Part  of  the  way 
was  along  the  bed  of  Dick's  river,  a  miserable  rocky  branch, 
which  the  troops  had  to  cross  and  recross  for  six  miles,  during 
one  dark  and  hazy  night.  Terrible,  then,  was  the  scene  of 
confusion.  Wagons  broke  down,  or  were  overturned ;  team 
sters  bawled  and  screamed,  and  cracked  their  whips,  and  swore 
in  the  most  outlandish  gibberish ;  and  so  it  went  on.  Day 
after  day  did  the  retreating  army  press  towards  the  mountain 
region  of  Cumberland  gap ;  and  day  after  day  did  the  gallant 
"Wheeler,  who  covered  the  rear,  perform  all  but  superhuman 


*  Freemantle's  Three  Months  in  the  South,  p.  166;  also  see  Charleston 
Mercury,  November  20th,  1862. 

f  The  people  of  Kentucky,  friendly  to  the  South,  were  thus  flying  from  the 
Northern  army  invading  their  soil. 


LIEUTEXANT-GENKRAL    LKONIDAS    POLK.  417 

deeds  to  retard  the  enemy.  From  Altamount  to  Cumberland 
gap  he  encountered  the  enemy  twenty-nine  times,  and,  finally, 
at  Ruck  Castle,  the  pursuers  abandoned  the  chase.  The  army 
of  the  Mississippi  was  saved  !  It  took  its  way  down  the  val 
ley,  and  thence  to  Murfreesboro,  as  already  related. 

It  appears  that  at  about  this  time,  General  Polk  visited 
Richmond,  and  greatly  surprised  the  public,  one  Sunday,  by 
his  presence  in  St.  Paul's  church  at  the  morning  service.  ITis 
well  known,  manly  form  was  immediately  recognized,  and 
many  would  have  gladly  seen  him  ascend  the  pulpit.  Ten 
days  afterwards  he  left  for  the  West,  having  acquiesced  in  the 
President's  decision  to  sustain  General  Bragg. 

At  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro,  Polk,  now  a  lieutenant-gen 
eral,  commanded  the  First  corps,  and  well  shared  in  the 
terrible  struggle  of  those  three  days.  After  the  retreat  to 
Tullahoma,  however,  a  few  months  of  needful  rest  followed — 
during  which  no  events  of  moment  transpired  worthy  of  record 
here.  The  same  writer,  whom  we  have  so  often  quoted,  re 
lates  the  following.  On  a  visit  to  the  camp  at  this  time,  May, 
1863,  he  says:  "Lieutenant-general  Polk  is  a  good-looking, 
gentlemanlike  man,  with  all  the  manners  and  affability  of  a 
4  grand  seigneur.'  lie  is  fifty  years  old — tall,  upright,  and 
looks  more  like  a  soldier  than  a  clergyman.  He  is  very  rich, 
and  owns,  I  am  told,  seven  hundred  negroes.  He  is  much  be 
loved  by  the  soldiers  on  account  of  his  great  personal  courage 
and  agreeable  manners.  He  told  me  he  was  educated  at  West 
Point,  and  was  at  that  institution  with  President  Davis,  the 
two  Johnstons,  Lee,  Magruder,  etc.,  and  that  after  serving  a 
short  time  in  the  artillery  he  had  entered  the  church.  He  ex 
plained  to  me  the  reasons  which  had  induced  him  temporarily 
to  forsake  the  cassock  and  return  to  his  old  profession.  He 
stated  the  extreme  reluctance  he  had  felt  in  taking  this  step; 
and  said  that  so  soon  as  the  war  was  over  he  should  return  to 
his  episcopal  avocations,  in  the  same  way  as  a  man,  finding 
his  house  on  fire,  would  use  every  means  in  his  power  to  ex 
tinguish  the  flames,  and  would  then  resume  his  ordinary  pur 
suits.  .  .  General  Polk  told  me  an  affecting  story  of  a  poor 
widowr,  in  humble  circumstances,  whose  three  sons  had  fallen 
in  battle  one  after  the  other,  until  she  had  only  one  left,  a  boy 
of  sixteen.  So  distressing  was  her  case  that  the  general  went 

27 


418  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

himself  to  comfort  her.  She  looked  steadily  at  him,  and  re 
plied  to  his  condolences  by  saying, ;  As  soon  as  I  can  get  a  few 
things  together,  General,  you  shall  have  Harry,  too.'  The 
tears  came  into  General  Folk's  eyes  as  he  related  this  incident, 
which  he  concluded  by  saying,  'How  can  you  subdue  such  a 
nation  as  this?'"  .  .  General  Folk's  son,  a  young  artillery 
lieutenant,  told  me  that  he  had  been  a  cadet  at  the  institute 
where  Professor  "  Stonewall "  Jackson  once  taught,  and  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  war,  Jackson  was  called  upon  to  make  a 
speech.  He  did  so,  in  these  words,  u  Soldiers,  make  short 
speeches;  be  slow  to  draw  the  sword  in  civil  strife,  but  when 
you  draw  it,  throw  away  the  scabbard."  Young  Folk  said 
that  the  enthusiasm  created  by  this  speech  of  old  Jack's  was 
beyond  description." 

General  Polk  was,  as  we  have  elsewhere  mentioned,  at  the 
battle  of  Chickamauga,  where  much  of  an  unpleasant  nature 
occurred  between  General  Bragg  and  himself.  The  result  was, 
that  Folk,  on  the  30th  of  September,  was  deprived  of  his  com 
mand,""  for  "  dereliction  of  duty,"  and  ordered  to  Atlanta, 
where  he  arrived  on  October  3d.  After  reflection,  however, 
and  examination  into  facts,  convinced  the  President  and 
General  Bragg  that  there  had  been  some  mistake  ;  and,  ac 
cordingly,  General  Polk  was  re-appointed,  but  sent  to  take 
command  of  the  paroled  prisoners  at  Yicksburg  and  Port 
Hudson,  which  he  did  in  the  latter  part  of  November.  The 
following  January,  1864,  he  was  appointed  to  command  the 
department  of  Alabama,  Mississippi,  and  East  Louisiana.  In 
a  previous  address  to  his  troops,  on  the  last  day  of  the  year, 
1863,  he  earnestly  appealed  to  all  good  citizens  to  forget  self, 
and  repair  to  the  field  that  they  might  assist  in  the  defence  of 
their  country.  He,  himself,  energetically  applied  himself  to 
the  task  of  obstructing  General  Sherman's  progress,  in  his 
Mississippi  expedition,  and  succeeded,  to  a  great  extent,  in 

*  General  Polk,  in  his  farewell  address  to  his  command,  says  :  "  In  conse 
quence  of  an  unfortunate  disagreement  between  myself  and  the  commander-in- 
chief  of  this  department,  I  have  been  relieved  of  my  command,  and  am  about 
to  retire  from  the  army.  Without  attempting  to  explain  the  circumstances 
of  this  disagreement,  or  prejudicing  the  public  mind  by  a  premature  appeal  to 
its  judgment,  I  must  be  permitted  to  express  my  unqualified  conviction  of  the 
rectitude  of  my  conduct,  and  that  time  and  investigation  will  amply  vindicate 
my  conduct  on  the  field  of  Chickamauga." 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   LEONID  AS    POLK.  419 

checking,  though,  as  events  have  shown,  not  wholly  frustrating 
his  after  plans.  In  February,  General  Polk  so  arranged  his 
command  as  to  place  the  Northern  department  of  it  under 
General  Forrest,  with  his  headquarters  at  Como ;  and  the 
southern  department,  under  General  S.  D.  Lee,  with  head 
quarters  at  Jackson.  Various  encounters  with  the  Federals 
ensued,  and,  on  the  26th  of  February,  General  Polk  issued  a 
congratulatory  address  to  his  troops,  in  which  he  considers  the 
campaign,  in  that  quarter,  against  Sherman,  to  have  success 
fully  closed.  He  adds:  "The  concentration  of  our  cavalry 
on  his  column  of  cavalry  from  West  Tennessee  formed  the 
turning  point  of  the  campaign.  That  concentration  broke 
down  his  only  means  of  subsisting  his  infantry.  His  column 
was  defeated  and  routed,  and  his  whole  force  compelled  to 
make  a  hasty  retreat.  Never  did  a  grand  campaign,  inaugu 
rated  with  such  pretension,  terminate  more  in  gloriously.  With 
a  force  three  times  that  which  was  opposed  to  its  advances, 
they  have  been  defeated  and  forced  to  leave  the  field  with  a 
loss  of  men,  small  arms,  and  artillery." 

When  General  Sherman  carried  his  operations  into  North 
Georgia,  and  Johnson  required  all  the  force  that  could  be 
brought  to  him,  Lieutenant-general  Polk  was  sent,  with  his 
troops,  to  form  the  left  wing  of  the  army.  At  Dalton,  and 
again  at  Itesaca,  Polk  placed  his  troops  with  great  skill,  and, 
in  the  retreat,  "Loring's  division  of  his  corps  brought  up  the 
rear  and  did  effective  service." 

At  length,  the  day  came  when  the  career  of  General  Polk 
was  to  end.  The  Confederate  army  had  retreated  to  Marietta, 
whither  Sherman  had  closely  followed  it.  It  was  a  strong 
point  on  Kenesaw  mountain,  at  which  General  Johnston  had 
encamped.  The  Federal  lines  were  well  formed  in  front  of 
him,  and  it  was  on  the  afternoon  of  June  14th,  that  Johnston, 
Hardee,  and  Polk,  rode  out  from  their  quarters  to  make  some 
telescopic  observations  of  the  Federal  position.  At  the  time, 
there  was  a  brisk  artillery  fire  going  on  between  the  two 
armies,  but  no  engagement  of  the  infantry.  The  generals, 
dismounting,  wralked  to  the  front,  where  some  of  the  enemy's 
artillerists,  observing  the  part}7,  fired.  Their  aim  was  too  suc 
cessful.  One  of  the  projectiles  struck  General  Polk  on  the 
left  arm,  about  the  elbow,  passed  through  his  body,  consider- 


420  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

ably  mangling  it,  and  carried  off  the  right  arm.  He  died  on 
the  spot,  and  his  remains  were  immediately  taken  to  Marietta, 
and  thence  to  Atlanta,  where  funeral  services  were  performed 
on  the  15th.  Thus  ended  the  life  of  one  whose  character  re 
minds  us  of  the  middle  ages,  when  priest  and  monk  forsook 
the  stole  and  cloister  to  join  crusaders  in  the  battlefield.  We 
conclude  by  quoting  the  following  tribute  to  his  memory,  as 
found  in  The  Church  Journal : 

"  Our  strong  condemnation  of  the  bishop's  course  in  volun 
tarily  forsaking  the  exercise  of  his  apostolic  office  in  order  to 
take  up  the  arms  of  earthly  warfare,  and  bear  his  part  in  the 
work  of  blood,  has  repeatedly  been  expressed  during  his  life 
time,  and  neither  justice  nor  generosity  calls  for  a  repetition  of 
the  censure  over  his  grave.  We  would  rather — now  that 
death  has  closed  the  account — recall  the  earlier  days,  when 
the  many  noble  traits  of  his  personal  character  surrounded  him 
with  friends,  and  made  him  second  to  none  throughout  all  the 
South,  in  his  influence  for  good.  His  manly  bearing,  his 
frank  and  cordial  manner,  his  high  sense  of  honor,  his  real 
tenderness  and  easily  kindled  sympathy  of  temperament — a 
sympathy  through  which  the  fever  of  Revolution  made  of  him 
an  early  and  an  easy  prey — his  wise  and  eloquent  labors  in  be 
half  of  education,  his  splendid  success  in  advocating  and  fur 
thering  the  '  University  of  the  South,'  his  administrative 
ability,  his  fatherly  affection  and  firmness  in  the  government 
of  the  clergy  and  people  of  his  diocese — these  are  the  things 
which  we  would  most  willingly  recall,  now  that  he  is  dead 
and  gone.  Or  if  his  military  career  cannot  be  altogether 
ignored — and  alas !  who  can  forget  it  ? — we  would  rather  re 
mind  our  readers  of  the  many  acts  of  kindness  and  tenderness 
shown  by  him  to  our  sick  and  wounded  men  ;  of  the  personal 
dignity,  and  purity,  and  elevation  of  character,  which  he  re 
tained  undiminished,  even  amid  the  thrilling  excitements  and 
sharp  temptations  of  the  camp  ;  of  his  great  success  in  winning 
the  confidence  and  love  of  his  men,  and  in  extending  the  spirit 
of  religion  among  the  armies  with  which  he  served  ;  of  his 
open  effort  not  altogether  to  sink  the  bishop  in  the  general ; 
and  last,  not  least,  of  that  striking  scene  in  our  little  church  at 
Harrodsburg,  when,  after  inspecting  the  building  and  deciding 
that  it  should  not  be  used  as  a  hospital  by  his  army,  he  laid 


LIECTKNANT-GENEKAL   LEONIDAS   POLK.  421 

aside  his  sword,  and  entered  the  chancel,  and  knelt  down  at 
the  altar,  and  aloud  poured  out  his  soul  to  God  in  a  fervent 
prayer  for  peace.  When  we  think  of  all  these  things,  we  may 
well  leave  him  to  his  Master,  and  our  Master,  to  judge;  nor 
feel  it  needful  to  mingle  any  earthly  censure  with  the  sincere 
expression  of  our  sorrow  at  his  fall." 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  STERLING   PRICE. 


GENERAL  PRICE  is  one  of  those  extraordinary  characters  that 
troublous  times  always  develope.  Not  a  military  man  by 
education,  nor,  indeed,  by  actual  profession,  he  possesses,  how 
ever,  many  of  the  talents  of  a  commander  and  a  soldier.  In 
strategy,  he  has  frequently  outmanoeuvred  several  generals  sent 
against  him  ;  and  the  success  he  has  obtained,  at  any  time, 
has  mainly  been  the  result  of  good  sense  and  hard  fighting. 
Yet  he  is  as  distinguished  in  the  more  peaceful  walks  of  life, 
as  he  has  been  in  those  of  war.  As  a  politician,  an  orator,  a 
citizen,  a  farmer,  and  a  man,  we  find  him  praised  by  all  who 
speak  of  him,  while  it  also  appears  that  he  well  deserves  a 
place  among  the  principal  generals  of  the  South. 

Sterling  Price  was  born  about  the  year  1810,  in  Prince 
Edward  county,  Virginia,  but  emigrated  to  the  west  while 
very  young.  He  settled  at  Charlton,  in  the  State  of  Missouri, 
when  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  and  there  pursued  the 
peaceful  occupation  of  a  farmer.  For  fourteen  years  there 
after  we  hear  nothing  of  him  ;  but  it  is  evident  that  he  had 
not  been  idle  during  the  time,  neither  on  his  farm,  nor  amongst 
his  fellow-men,  for,  in  1844,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  Con 
gress  by  a  large  majority.  He  took  his  seat  in  December, 
1845,  but,  having  failed  to  receive  the  party  nomination  in 
the  following  spring,  he  resigned  arid  returned  home.  Just 
about  this  time  the  war  broke  out  with  Mexico.  Several 
States— Mississippi,  Tennessee,  Illinois,  Arkansas,  and  Louisi 
ana — were  sending  volunteers,  and  Missouri  followed  the  ex 
ample  by  giving  authority  to  Price  for  raising  a  regiment  of 
cavalry,  and  appointing  him  colonel.  This  was  on  the  12th  of 


several 


ana — were  sending  volunteers,  and  Missouri  followed  the  ex 
ample  by  giving  authority  to  Price  for  raising  a  regiment  of 
cavalry,  and  appointing  him  colonel.  This  was  on  the  12th  of 


424  SOUTHERN    GENKRALS. 

discovered  in  time  to  prevent  its  complete,  though  not  its 
partial,  success.  Governor  Bent,  and  several  of  his  officers, 
being  absent,  at  the  time,  from  Santa  Fe,  fell  victims  to  it,  and 
were  brutally  massacred.  The  garrison  force,  also,  was  obliged 
to  live  in  detachments  where  forage  could  be  obtained,  and 
twenty  of  these  were  surprised  and  killed.  This  led  the  insur 
gents  to  augur  complete  success,  and,  accordingly,  they  strongly 
posted  themselves  on  heights,  at  a  place  called  Canada.  This 
was  on  the  23d  of  January,  1847,  and,  on  that  day,  Colonel 
Price,  at  the  head  of  400  men,  inarched  against  them.  On  the 
following  day,  he  succeeded,  after  nearly  two  hours'  engage 
ment,  in  thoroughly  routing  them  with  some  loss.  The  enemy 
then  fell  back  to  another  strong  position  up  a  river,  at  the 
pass  of  Emboda ;  thither,  Colonel  Price,  now  joined  by  Captain 
Burg  win  and  his  dragoons,  followed  them.  A  gallant  charge 
was  made  in  a  narrow  gorge,  and  the  enemy  was  again  routed. 

The  insurgents,  however,  made  yet  -another  stand  at  San 
Fernando  de  Taos,  where  Governor  Bent  had  been  massacred, 
and  there  Colonel  Price,  with  his  command,  pursued  them. 
The  country  was  mountainous,  and  the  snow  very  deep,  but 
the  American  force  toiled  over  the  steeps,  crossed  the  valleys, 
inarched  through  wild  passes,  and  frightful-looking  gorges,  till, 
on  the  3d  of  February,  1847,  they  entered  San  Fernando — 
evacuated  by  the  foe — and  went  on  to  El  Pueblo,  where  the 
Mexicans  were  more  strongly  posted  than  before.  That  after 
noon  the  engagement  began,  ceasing  at  night,  but  renewed 
next  day,  and  ended  in  the  total  defeat,  and  entire  submission 
of  the  insurgents,  after  considerable  loss  on  both  sides. 

We  have  not  space  to  follow  the  afrer  movements  of  Colonel 
Price,  when  he  inarched  to  Chihuahua,  over  the  fearful,  arid 
previously  impassable  desert  Jornada  del  Muerto  (Journey  of 
Death),  nor  can  we  detail  his  engagements  with  the  Mexicans 
at  Taos  and  Rosales.  The  services  Price  rendered  in  New 
Mexico  raised  his  rank  to  that  of  Brigadier-general,  and  it  was 
considered  by  every  one,  that  "  his  campaign  had  been  one  of 
the  most  brilliant  of  the  war,  especially  considering  his  slender 
force  of  volunteers  ;  and  it  forcibly  displayed  the  extraordi 
nary  energy  and  enterprise  of  his  character." 

After  his  return  from  the  Mexican  War,  in  1848,  he  settled 
down  again  upon  his  farm,  though  mixing  more  than  before  in 


LTEUTENANT-GENKRAL    STERLING    PRICE.  425 

exciting  political  questions.  Finally,  in  1852,  he  was  elected 
Governor  of  Missouri,  and  his  whole  time  was  then  devoted  to 
the  welfare  of  the  State.  In  1860,  he  supported  Mr.  Douglas 
for  the  Presidency.  When  it  was  found  that  Mr.  Lincoln  had 
been  elected,  signs  of  strife  were  speedily  manifested,  though 
no  overt  act  was  committed  for  some  time.  In  January,  ex- 
Governor  Price  was  chosen  President  of  the  State  Convention  ; 
and  when  the  authorities  decided  upon  resistance  to  the  Fed 
eral  Government,  he  was  placed,  by  Governor  Claib  Jackson, 
at  the  head  of  the  Missouri  State  Guard,  as  Major-general. 

From  some  skilful  pen  we  have  the  following  graphic  de 
scription  of  General  Price  and  his  followers.  Of  his  personal 
appearance  the  writer  says  :  "  He  is  over  six  feet  in  height, 
with  a  frame  to  match,  full,  but  not  portly,  and  straight  as  an 
Indian.  His  carriage  is  marked  with  dignity,  grace,  and  gen 
tleness,  and  every  motion  bespeaks  the  attitude  and  presence 
of  the  well-bred  gentleman.  He  has  a  large,  Websteri  an  head, 
covered  with  a  growth  of  thick,  white  hair,  a  high,  broad,  in 
tellectual  forehead,  florid  face,  no  beard,  and  a  mouth  among 
whose  latent  smiles  you  never  fail  to  discover  the  iron  will  that 
surmounts  all  obstacles. 

"  The  army  of  General  Price  is  made  up  of  extremes.  It  is 
a  heterogeneous  mixture  of  all  human  compounds,  and  repre 
sents  in  its  various  elements  every  condition  of  Western  life. 
There  are  the  old  and  the  young,  the  rich  and  poor,  the  high 
and  low,  the  grave  and  gay,  the  planter  and  laborer,  farmer 
and  clerk,  hunter  and  boatman,  merchant  and  woodsman — men, 
too,  who  have  come  from  every  State,  and  been  bronzed  in 
every  latitude,  from  the  mountains  of  the  northwest  to  the 
pampas  of  Mexico.  Americans,  Indians,  half-breeds,  Mexicans, 
Frenchmen,  Italians,  Germans,  Spaniards,  and  Poles — all  mixed 
in  the  motley  mass  who  have  rallied  around  the  flag  of  their 
noble  leader.  It  is  a  '  gathering  of  the  clans,'  as  if  they  had 
heard  and  responded  to  the  stirring  battle-call  of  my  poetical 
friend,  Harry  Timrod." 

"  It  has  been  a  puzzle  to  many  how  Price,  without  govern 
mental  resources,  has  managed  to  subsist  a  considerable  army 
in  a  country  almost  desolated.  His  system  is  not  known  in 
the  '  regulations.'  lie  never  complains  of  a  want  of  transpor 
tation,  whether  he  is  about  to  move  ten  miles  or  a  hundred 


426  SOUTHERN  GKNKKALS. 

miles.  lie  pays  for  what  lie  takes,  in  Missouri  State  scrip. 
His  men  go  into  the  cornfield,  shuck  the  corn,  shell  it,  take  it 
to  the  mill,  and  bring  it  into  camp,  ground  into  meal.  Or, 
should  they  have  no  flour,  they  take  the  wheat  from  the  stack, 
thresh  it  themselves,  or  with  horses  or  oxen,  and  as  with  corn, 
ask  the  aid  of  the  miller  to  reduce  it  to  flour.  Such  an  army 
can  go  where  they  please  in  an  agricultural  country.  His 
troops  not  only  loved  him,  but  were  enthusiastically  devoted 
to  him.  IJis  figure  in  the  battlefield,  clothed  in  a  common, 
brown  linen  coat,  with  his  white  hair  streaming  in  the  wind, 
was  the  signal  for  wild  and  passionate  cheers  ;  and  there  was 
not  one  of  his  soldiers,  it  was  said,  but  who  was  willing  to  die, 
if  he  could  only  fall  within  sight  of  his  commander.'' 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  present  war,  one  of  the  first  acts 
of  General  Price,  May,  1861,*  was  to  consult,  with  General 
Harney  of  the  Federal  forces,  as  to  the  best  mode  of  "  restor 
ing  peace  and  good  order  to  the  people  of  the  State,  in  subor 
dination  to  the  laws  of  the  General  and  State  Governments." 
Certain  riotous  demonstrations  having  appeared  at  St.  Louis, 
Price  having  "  full  authority  over  the  militia  of  the  State,"  un 
dertook,  with  the  sanction  of  the  Governor,  to  maintain  order; 
and  General  Harney  declared  that  he  had  no  intention  of  using 
the  military  at  his  command,  to  cause  disturbance.  Both  en 
joined  upon  the  citizens  to  keep  quiet,  and  attend  to  their  or 
dinary  occupations. 

Soon  after  this,  when  General  Harney  was  removed  by  the 
authorities  at  Washington,  General  Price  issued  the  following 
address,  which,  as  it  clearly  defines  his  views  and  position,  we 
insert : 

HEADQUARTERS  MISSOURI  GUARD,  ) 
JEFFERSON  CITY,  June  4,  18G1.   J 
To  the  Brigadier-generals  commanding  the 

several  Military  Districts  in  Missouri : 

To  correct  misrepresentation,  and  prevent  all  misunderstand 
ing  of  my  opinions  and  intentions  in  reference  to  the  military 
trust  confided  to  me  by  the  Government  of  Missouri,  I  desire  to 

*  Just  prior  to  this,  the  arsenal  at  Liberty  had  been  seized  ;  and,  on  the  10th 
of  May,  a  brigade  of  Missouri  militia  had  been  forced  to  surrender,  uncon 
ditionally,  at  the  demand  of  Captain  (afterwards  General)  Lyon,  of  the  Fed 
eral  army. 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    STEELING    PlilCE.  427 

state  to  you,  and  the  public  generally,  that  my  past  and  present 
position  as  a  private  citizen,  as  a  member  of  our  State  Conven 
tion,  and  as  a  military  commander,  and  my  influence,  have 
been  exerted  to  prevent  the  transfer  of  the  seat  of  war  from  the 
Atlantic  States  to  our  own  State.  Having  taken  no  steps  to 
wards  dissolving  our  connection  with  the  Federal  Government, 
there  was  no  reason  whatever  for  disturbing  the  peace  and 
tranquillity  of  Missouri.  I  have,  therefore,  desired,  and  such  I 
am  authorized,  has  been,  and  still  is,  the  desire  of  the  Chief 
Executive  under  whose  orders  I  acted,  that  the  people  of  Mis 
souri  should  exercise  the  right  to  choose  their  own  position  in 
any  contest  which  might  be  forced  upon  them,  unaided  by  any 
military  force  whatever.  The  right  to  bear  arms  in  defence  of 
themselves  and  of  their  State  cannot  be  questioned,  secured  as 
it  is  by  both  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  and  of  this 
State.  For  the  purpose,  therefore,  of  securing  to  the  people  of 
Missouri  a  free  exercise  of  their  undoubted  rights,  and  with  a 
view  to  preserve  peace  and  order  throughout  the  State,  an 
agreement  has  been  entered  into  between  General  Harney  and 
myself,  which  I  consider  alike  honorable  to  both  parties  and 
governments  represented.  The  Federal  Government,  however, 
has  thought  proper  to  remove  General  Harney  from  the  com 
mand  of  the  department  of  the  West ;  but  as  the  successor  of 
General  Harney  will  certainly  consider  himself  and  his  gov 
ernment  in  honor  bound  to  carry  out  this  agreement  in  good 
faith,  I  feel  assured  that  his  removal  should  give  no  cause  of 
uneasiness  to  our  citizens  for  the  security  of  their  liberties  and 
property.  I  intend,  on  my  part  to  adhere  to  it  both  in  its 
spirit  and  to  the  letter.  The  rumors  in  circulation,  that  it  is 
the  intention  of  the  officer  now  in  command  of  this  depot  to. 
disarm  those  of  our  citizens  who  do  not  agree  in  opinion  with 
the  administration  at  Washington,  and  put  arms  in  the  hands 
of  those  who,  in  some  localities  of  this  State,  are  supposed  to 
sympathize  with  the  views  of  the  Federal  Government,  are,  I 
trust,  unfounded.  The  purpose  of  such  a  movement  could  not 
be  misunderstood,  and  it  would  not  only  be  a  palpable  viola 
tion  of  the  agreement  referred  to,  and  an  equally  plain  viola 
tion  of  our  constitutional  rights,  but  a  gross  indignity  to  the 
citizens  of  this  State,  which  would  be  resisted  to  the  last  ex 
tremity. 


428  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

My  wish  and  hope  is,  that  the  people  of  the  State  of  Mis 
souri  be  permitted,  in  peace  and  security,  to  decide  upon  their 
future  course,  and  so  far  as  my  abilities  can  effect  this  object, 
it  shall  be  accomplished. 

The  people  of  Missouri  cannot  be  forced,  under  the  terrors 
of  a  military  invasion,  into  a  position  not  of  their  own  free 
choice.  A  million  of  such  people  as  the  citizens  of  Missouri 
were  never  yet  subjugated,  and  if  attempted,  let  no  apprehen 
sions  be  entertained  of  the  result. 

I  enjoin  upon  you,  gentlemen,  to  see  that  all  citizens,  of 
whatever  opinion  in  politics  or  religion,  be  protected  in  their 
persons  and  property. 

STERLING  PRICE, 
Major-general  commanding. 

Events,  however,  were  -rapidly  tending  to  serious  collision, 
between  the  respective  forces  ;  and,  on  the  20th  of  June,  the 
first  engagement  occurred  at  Booneville,  between  the  State 
troops,  commanded  by  Captain  Marmaduke  and  General 
Lyon.  The  Missouri  men  were  defeated,  though  showing 
great  bravery'  in  this,  their  first  pitched  battle.  Price  there 
fore,  was  now  compelled  to  come  forward  openly  in  favor  of 
resistance  to  the  Federal  power.  The  day  following  the  battle 
of  Carthage,  July  6th,  General  Price  arrived  at  that  city, 
accompanied  by  Brigadier-general  McCulloch,  of  the  Con 
federate  army,  who  had  been  appointed  by  the  authorities  at 
Richmond  to  the  command,  under  General  Polk,  head  of  the 
department. 

On  the  25th  of  July,  the  Missouri  army,  under  Generals 
_ Price,  McCulloch,  and  Pierce,  began  its  march  from  Cowskin 
Prairie,  near  the  Indian  country,  towards  Springfield,  where 
the  Federals,  under  Lyon,  Sturgis,  Sweeney,  and  Sigel,  were 
uniting  their  forces  to  overpower  the  State.  But  it  soon  be 
came  apparent  that  a  division  of  the  chief  command  would  be 
inimical  to  the  good  of  the  cause,  and,  possibly,  injurious  to 
the  troops.  Price,  therefore,  with  a  truly  unselfish  and 
patriotic  spirit,  relinquished  his  post  to  McCulloch,  expressing 
himself  in  substance  as  follows :  "  I  seek  not  distinction  ;  I  am 
not  fighting  for  that;  but  in  the  defence  of  the  liberties  of  my 
countrymen.  It  matters  little  what  position  I  hold.  I  am 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    STERLING    PRICK.  429 

ready  to  surrender,  not  only  the  command,  but  my  life  as  a 
sacrifice  to  the  cause."  That  his  services  and  his  presence 
among  the  men  should  not  be  lost,  he  took  a  subordinate 
position  in  the  forthcoming  contest.  McOnlloch  assumed  chief 
command,  and  Price  was  a  division  general  under  him;  and 
thus  the  army  marched  forward  to  meet  the  foe. 

On  the  10th  of  August,  the  battle  of  Oak  Hill,  or  Wilson's 
Creek,  was  fought,  ending  in  defeat  of  the  Federals,  and  death 
of  their  chief  in  command,  General  Lyon.  Their  forces,  after 
wards,  first  under  Major  Sturgis,  and  then  Colonel  Sigel,  re 
treated  to  Springfield,  and  then  to  Holla.  Springfield  was  oc 
cupied  by  a  part  of  the  Confederates,  under  General  Rains,  on 
the  llth.  The  victory,  however,  was  claimed  by  both  sides, 
though  the  falling  back  of  Sigel  left  the  field  undoubtedly  to 
the  Missouri  men. 

At  this  time,  General  Fremont  had  arrived  to  take  chief 
command  of  the  "Western  Department.  On  the  29th  of  July, 
lie  had  reached  St.  Louis,  and  military  preparations  were  im 
mediately  carried  on  with  renewed  vigor.  But  we  cannot  fol 
low,  in  detail,  the  events  of  this  stirring  campaign  in  Missouri. 
Clearly,  on  the  side  of  the  State,  General  Price  was  the  lead 
ing  spirit,  while  McCulloch  was  the  ruling  authority  among 
the  Confederate  forces.  On  the  20th  of  August,  Price  issued 
a  proclamation  "  to  the  people  of  Missouri,"  exhorting  them  to 
maintain  their  privileges  and  rights  against  all  persons,  and 
especially  against  "any  one  claiming  to  be  provisional  or  tem 
porary  governor  of  Missouri."  This  referred,  no  doubt,  to  the 
appointments  made  by  the  Federals ;  but  it  is  evident  that 
Price  and  the  Missouri  people  were  very  jealous  of  any  power 
— whether  of  the  North  or  South — which  might  attempt  to 
encroach  in  the  least  upon  their  perfect  freedom.  At  this 
time,  for  some  reason,  Generals  McCulloch  and  Hardee — who 
had  been  stationary  at  Greenville  —  withdrew,  the  former 
into  Arkansas,  the  latter  to  join  the  forces  under  A.  S.  John 
son. 

General  Price,  now  again  in  full  command,  marched  to  the 
Missouri  river  with  a  force  of  about  4,500  men,  and  seven 
pieces  of  cannon.  On  the  7th  of  September,  he  encountered 
and  fought  General  J.  Lane,  at  a  placed  called  Drywood,  some 
fifteen  miles  east  of  Fort  Scott.  The  conflict  lasted  nearly  two 


430  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

hours,  ending  in  Lane  retreating,  and  some  of  Price's  forces 
occupying  the  fort,  the  remainder,  with  their  General,  proceed 
ing  to  Lexington. 

On  the  20th  of  September,  1861,  Lexington,  and  all  the 
United  States  forces  there  assembled,  were  surrendered  to 
Price,  by  Colonel  Mulligan,  after  a  three  days'  siege.  The 
Federal  troops,  and  their  gallant  chief,  held  out  bravely,  but 
were  at  length  obliged  to  yield.  Immediately  General  Price 
issued  an  order,  that  the  forces  under  Colonel  Mulligan,  hav 
ing  stacked  their  arms,  "  were  not  to  be  insulted  by  word  or 
act,  for  they  had  fought  like  brave  men."  Colonel  Mulligan, 
on  giving  up  his  sword,  had  it  immediately  returned  to  him  by 
General  Price,  who  said  he  "could  not  see  a  man  of  his  valor 
without  his  sword."  The  Federal  commander,  however,  would 
not  give  his  parole,  because  "  his  government  had  not  acknow 
ledged  the  Missourians  as  belligerents."  lie  was,  therefore,  a 
prisoner,  though  only  such  in  name,  for  Price,  with  true 
chivalric  courtesy,  induced  Colonel  Mulligan  and  his  wife  to 
become  his  guests,  and  treated  them  with  every  possible  hos 
pitality  :  the  same  spirit  being  displayed  by  the  victorious 
Missourians — officers  and  privates  alike. 

In  his  official  report  of  this  battle,  General  Price  did  not 
forget  to  bestow  a  very  high  meed  of  praise  upon  his  troops. 
Said  he,  "  No  general  ever  commanded  a  braver  or  better 
army.  It  is  composed  of  the  best  blood  and  bravest  men  of 
Missouri." 

During  the  siege,  quite  a  number  of  citizens  came  in  from 
the  neighboring  country,  and  fought  as  they  expressed  it,  "  on 
their  own  hook."  A  participator  in  the  battle  tells  an  anec 
dote  of  an  old  man,  about  sixty  years  of  age,  who  came  up 
daily  from  his  farm,  with  his  walnut-stock  rifle,  and  a  basket 
of  provisions,  and  went  to  work  just  as  if  he  were  engaged  in 
hauling  rails,  or  some  other  accustomed  labor.  He  took  his 
position  behind  a  large  stump  upon  the  descent  of  the  hill  on 
which  the  fortification  was  constructed,  where  he  fired  with 
deadly  aim  during  each  day  of  the  siege. 

No  sooner  was  Lexington  taken  than  Price  heard  that  Fre 
mont,  Sturgis,  and  Lane,  were  advancing  with  a  heavy  force, 
and  in  such  a  way  as  to  cut  him  off.  This  he  adroitly  pre 
vented  by  sending  out  cavalry,  as  if  intending  to  attack  each 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    STERLING    PRICE.  431 

of  the  enemy  separately,  and  so  covering  his  retreat.  This 
retreat  was  executed  in  a  most  admirable  manner,  and  amidst 
numerous  obstacles.  The  Osage  river  was  crossed  in  two  flat- 
bottomed  boats,  constructed  for  the  occasion  by  the  Missouri 
soldiers;  and  then  Price  moved  to  Xeosho,  on  the  Indian  fron 
tier  of  the  State.  Here  the  Legislature  had  assembled,  and 
here  Price  again  formed  a  junction  with  McCulloch,  at  the 
head  of  5,000  men.  It  was  at  this  time,  the  State  Legislature 
at  length  passed  the  Ordinance  of  Secession,  and  General 
Price  had  the  satisfaction  of  firing  a  hundred  guns  to  celebrate 
the  event. 

From  Neosho,  Price  and  McCulloch  fell  back  to  Cassville 
and  Pineville,  on  the  southern  borders  of  the  State.  Fremont 
came  on  after  him,  and  Springfield  was  taken  from  the  Mis 
souri  forces  stationed  there,  by  Colonel  Zagonyi,  of  Fremont's 
body  guard.  At  Pineville,  Price,  however,  was  ready  for 
another  bartle,  but  just  then  Fremont  was  recalled,  and  the 
Federals  retreated  to  Osceola  and  Holla.  Price  followed  them 
to  Osceola,  and  then  returned  to  Springfield  to  forage  his 
army  and  obtain  supplies.  This  was  about  the  1st  of  Decem 
ber,  ISnl,  and  since  the  previous  June,  his  gallant  army  had 
marched  over  eight  hundred  miles  of  ground,  often  in  want, 
and  yet  fighting  five  battles  and  thirty  skirmishes. 

On  December  4th,  1861,  the  Confederate  Congress  unani 
mously  passed  a  resolution  of  thanks  to  "Major-general  Ster 
ling  Price  and  the  Missouri  army  under  his  command,  for  the 
gallant  conduct  they  had  displayed  throughout  their  service 
in  the  present  war." 

About  this  time,  Price  had  been  appointed  a  major-general 
in  the  Confederate  army — (holding  this  rank  previously  over 
State  troops  only) — but  this  was  not  confirmed,  and  Major- 
general  Earl  Van  Dorn  was  assigned  to  the  Department  of 
Missouri  and  Arkansas,  Ben  McCulloch  being  over  the  forces 
further  West.  This  appointment,  though  with  the  concurrence 
of  General  Price,  did  not  succeed  so  well  as  anticipated.  The 
two  generals  cordially  united  in  resisting  the  advances  of  the 
enemy,  but  sufficient  troops  and  material  could  not  be  found. 
The  result  was,  that  Price  hearing  of  the  Federals  approaching 
in  great  numbers,  determined,  on  the  13th  of  February  to  re 
treat,  and  gave  orders  accordingly.  His  army  then  moved 


432  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

into  Arkansas,  arriving  at  Cove  Creek,  on  the  25th  of  that 
month,  and  uniting  with  Van  Dorn.  Shortly  afterwards,  the 
Confederate  forces  were  united  with  those  under  Ben  McCul 
loch,  and  they  then  marched  to  attack  the  Federal  army  under 
General  Curtis  and  Sigel,  at  Pea  Eiclge,  Arkansas.  The  bat 
tle  commenced  on  the  6th  of  March,  1862,  after  two  days'  long 
and  dreary  travelling  through  mud  and  snow.  Gates's  regi 
ment  of  Price's  body  guard,  and  the  Louisiana  regiment, -im 
mediately  attacked  Sigel  near  Bentonville,  but  though  that 
gallant  German  officer  retreated  to  Curtis's  main  wing  of  the 
army,  he  did  so  in  good  order  and  without  loss.  This  was  on 
Thursday,  March  6th,  and  on  the  next  day  the  great  battle 
raged  in  all  its  fury.  Those  who  witnessed  it,  and  were  com 
petent  to  judge,  said  it  was  the  Buena  Vista  of  the  war,  so  far  ; 
and,  certainly,  we  may  infer  it  was  more  than  ordinarily  se 
vere,  from  the  separate  accounts  given  of  it.  Van  Dorn  and 
Price  were  opposed  to  Curtis  ;  while  McCulloch  and  Mclntosh 
faced  Sigel.  There  were  a  number  of  Indians  also  engaged, 
and  these  were  in  McCulloch's  command.  Price  pushed  for 
ward  with  his  accustomed  valor ;  and  McCulloch  did  the  same 
on  his  wing;  but,  during  a  terrible  fusilade,  the  latter  was 
killed.  Van  Dorn  was  not  behind  in  cool  daring  and  skill, 
and,  as  commanding  officer,  his  testimony  to  the  extraordinary 
valor  of  the  Missourians  under  Price,  is  to  be  regarded,  lie 
said :  "  The  Old  Guard  of  Napoleon  was  not  composed  of 
braver  men  :  I  have  never  in  battle  seen  their  equals." 

On  Saturday,  March  8th,  the  battle  was  renewed,  and  the 
cannonading  was  terrific.  General  Mclntosh  was  killed,  be 
sides  many  other  brave  officers  and  men  ;  and,  finally,  the 
Confederates  fell  back,  leaving  Curtis,  Sigel,  and  Jefferson 
C.  Davis,  masters  of  the  field. 

The  battle  of  Pea  Ridge  seemed  to  decide  the  question  of 
Confederate  rule  in  the  State  for  a  time,  and  it  led  to  the  re 
treat  of  Van  Dorn  with  his  army  towards  the  Mississippi. 
Price,  it  is  said,  differed  from  Van  Darn  about  the  attack  on 
Curtis,  when  it  was  undertaken,  but  other  circumstances  also 
followed,  which  made  General*  Price's  position  such  as  was  not 
agreeable  to  him,  nor  so  useful  to  his  countrymen  as  he  de 
sired.  He,  therefore,  resigned  his  commission  in  the  State 
militia,  April  6th,  in  an  address  to  the  "soldiers  of  the  State 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   STERLING   PRICE.  433 

guard,"  which  was  full  of  patriotic  tire,  and  generous  enthusi 
asm.  He  then  joined  the  Confederate  army,  having  received 
liis  appointment,  now  confirmed,  as  major-general. 

Immediately  afterwards,  Price  and  Van  Dorn  left  the  field 
in  Arkansas  to  join  the  forces  under  A.  S.  Johnston  and  Beau- 
regard  ;  leaving  Brigadier-general  Pike  on  the  Indian  frontier, 
and  Brigadier-general  J.  S.  Roane  in  command  of  Arkansas, 
but  without  troops.  On  the  llth  of  April,  Price,  with  his 
division,  arrived  at  Memphis,  and  was  most  enthusiastically 
received.  When  called  upon  to  speak,  he  said:  "The  time 
for  speech-making  had  passed,  and  the  time  for  action  had 
arrived.  He  had  commenced  this  service  without  men,  money, 
or  munitions  of  war;  now  he  could  boast  of  a  gallant  horde  of 
true  soldiers,  not  inconsiderable  in  numbers,  and  unsurpassed 
in  valor  and  zeal,  who  would  stand  by  him  and  he  by  them  to 
the  end — for  weal  or  woe,  come  when  that  hour  may.  He  had 
returned  the  arms  and  supplies  he  had  borrowed  to  begin  with, 
and  still  retained  abundant  supplies  for  the  valorous  sons  of 
the  West,  won  by  them  in  the  conflicts  of  the  past  for  future 
use.  He  expected  soon  to  be  heard  from  in  the  thundering 
tones  of  the  cannon,  the  roar  of  musketry,  and  the  clashing  of 
bayonets." 

The  battle  of  Shiloh  was  over  when  Price  arrived  with  his 
forces,  and  joined  Beauregard  at  Corinth  ;  but  on  the  10th  of 
May,  he  was  with  Van  Dorn  in  the  engagement  at  Farming- 
ton.  There  was,  however,  not  a  little  ill  feeling,  among  some 
in  command,  about  General  Price.  Possibly,  with  the  free 
dom  that  often  pertains  to  men  unaccustomed  to  the  ordinary 
restraints  of  military  life,  when  under  strict  discipline,  he  may 
have  expressed  himself  too  openly,  as  it  is  related  he  did.  But 
whatever  was  the  cause,  his  relations  with  the  regular  Con 
federate  army,  at  this  time,  were  not  quite  amicable.  In  June, 
he  went  to  Richmond  to  consult  with  the  authorities  there, 
and,  on  his  return,  moved  his  division  upon  luka,  Mississippi, 
taking  possession  on  the  llth  of  September.  His  plan  was  to 
try  and  draw  the  Federal  forces  away  from  Corinth,  and  thus 
render  its  capture  easy  by  General  Van  Dorn,  who  was  to 
attack  it  during  his  absence.  This  plan  failed  through  the 
promptitude  of  Generals  Grant  and  Rosecrans,  the  latter  per 
sonally  moving  on  Price  at  luka.  This  battle  took  place  on 
28 


SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

the  20th  of  September,  1862,  and  ended  in  the  defeat  of  Gen 
eral  Price  with  great  loss;  General  Little,  a  brave  and  much 
loved  officer,  being  among  the  killed. 

General  Price  now  marched  back  and  reunited  with  Yan 
Dorn,  both  forces  then  moving  on  Corinth,  held  at  the  time  by 
Rosecrans.  The  battles  that  ensued,  on  the  2d,  3d,  and  4th 
of  October,  were  ably  fought,  and  with  great  obstinacy,  but  re 
sulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  Confederates. 

In  this  battle,  General  Price  was  again  conspicuous  for  his 
daring,  and  also  for  his  skilful  arrangements.  Yan  Dorn, 
being  senior  in  rank,  had  the  command,  and  Price  ably 
seconded  him.  The  other  generals  mentioned  were  Lovell, 
Maury,  Herbert,  and  Yillepigue.  Had  we  space,  some  account 
of  this  battle,  arid  the  doings  of  the  several  commanders  could 
well  be  given  here. 

In  November,  1862,  General  Price  sat  on  a  court  of  inquiry 
to  determine  certain  charges  against  General  Yan  Dorn.  who 
was,  however,  acquitted. 

In  December,  the  Confederate  forces  again  fell  back  to 
Granada,  before  the  advance  of  General  Grant ;  but,  on  the 
20th  of  the  month,  Yan  Dorn  succeeded  in  getting  behind  the 
Federal  commander,  and,  for  a  short  time  only,  reoccupying 
Holly  Springs,  capturing  the  whole  force  stationed  there,  and 
destroying  an  immense  quantity  of  stores  and  supplies.  Dur 
ing  the  next  month  or  two,  however,  we  hear  little  of  General 
Price,  until,  it  seems,  he  arrived  in  Richmond  to  again  confer 
with  the  authorities.  The  result  was  his  appointment  to  a 
new  command  in  the  Trans-Mississippi  department,  where 
General  Marmaduke  was  operating  against  Generals  Blunt, 
and  Herron.  In  March,  1863,  Price  arrived  at  Mobile,  and 
proceeded  thence  to  Little  Rock,  Arkansas.  There,  in  con 
junction  with  Marmaduke,  he  planned  an  expedition  against 
Cape  Giradeau,  at  that  time  the  depot  of  supplies  for  a  portion 
of  Grant's  army.  The-  Confederate  force  left  Little  Rock 
about  the  middle  of  April,  crossed  into  Missouri  on  the  20th, 
and  was  before  Cape  Giradeau — then  held  by  General  McNeil 
— on  the  25th.  McNeil  had,  just  previously,  removed  the 
stores  into  Illinois,  and  obtained  reinforcements  from  St.  Louis. 
The  result,  therefore,  was  a  disappointment  to  the  Confeder 
ates,  and  after  a  sharp  engagement,  Marmaduke — who  had  the 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    STERLING   PRICE.  435 

command,  for  Price  seems  to  have  remained  at  Little  Rock — 
retreated  back  to  Arkansas,  where  he  arrived  on  the  2d  of 
May.  From  that  date,  various  movements  of  no  great  im 
portance  occurred  in  Price's  command,  until  July  4th,  when 
an  attack  was  made  upon  Helena,  Arkansas,  held  by  the 
Federal  General  Prentiss.  A  heavy  engagement  followed, 
and,  finally,  the  Confederates  again  fell  back  to  the  middle  of 
the  State.  General  Steele  now  came  on  the  field  to  aid  in 
driving  the  Confederates  out  of  the  State;  and,  on  the  10th  of 
September,  after  an  encounter  with  the  forces  of.  Marmaduke, 
Pi-ice,  and  Holmes,  he  entered  Little  Rock — the  capital  of  Ar 
kansas — and  ultimately  the  Southern  troops  had  to  leave  the 
Federals  in  possession.  Price  then  crossed  the  border,  and,  in 
the  early  part  of  November,  was  at  Marshall,  Texas,  not  far 
from  the  confines  of  Louisiana. 

On  Christmas  day,  1863,  Price's  command  was  at  Long- 
wood,  twenty  miles  west  of  Coldon,  and  he  had  with  him 
about  13,000  men.  The  majority  of  these,  however,  were  new 
men.  His  old  followers  from  Missouri — those  who  had  served 
at  Lexington  and  Pea  Ridge  under  him — were  nearly  all  in 
their  graves,  and  only  some  3,000  of  his  soldiers  now  hailed 
from  the  State  of  Missouri.  The  rest  were  principally  Texans, 
and  members  of  the  adjoining  territories. 

In  the  early  part  of  March,  1864,  Price  assumed  command 
of  all  the  Confederate  forces  then  preparing  to  advance  upon 
Arkansas,  and,  as  he  said  in  a  proclamation,  u  chase  the  Union 
army  from  that  State."  The  operations  of  General  Banks  on 
the  Red  river,  in  April,  called  for  General  Steele  to  join  him, 
and  Price  at  once  moved  forward  to  cut  off  his  retreat.  This 
he  was  unable  to  do  completely,  but  so  far  impeded  him  that 
he  was  compelled  to  cut  his  way  through  Price's  forces,  to  re 
gain  Little  Rock.  The  following  month,  May,  Price  was  at 
Camden,  Arkansas,  still  watching  for  some  opportunity  to  suc 
cessfully  engage  the  forces,  but  especially  to  accomplish  his 
long  desire  of  marching  again  into  Missouri.  He  set  about 
this  in  June,  by  flanking  Little  Rock,  and  marching  to  the 
northwest  of  the  State,  where,  at  Bayettsville,  he  halted  to  or 
ganize  his  forces.  There,  recruits,  horses,  provisions,  ammuni 
tion,  medicines,  and  other  stores  poured  in  abundantly  from 
Missouri,  in  spite  of  all  precautions  on  the  part  of  General 


436  SOUTHERN    GENEKAJLS. 

Kosecrans,  then  in  command  of  the  department,  to  prevent  it. 
Shelby,  the  General  next  to  Price,  was  ordered  to  advance,  and 
this  he  did,  by  crossing  the  border  line  in  September.  He 
then  marched  on  to  Doniphari  and  Bloomfield,  Mobile,  and 
finally  proceeded  towards  Pilot  Knob,  Price  quickly  following, 
and  reaching  Bloomfield  on  the  24th  of  September,  thus,  once 
more  entering  the  State  for  the  purpose,  as  he  alleged,  of  free 
ing  it  from  Northern  rule.  The  next  day  Frederickton  was 
taken,  and  Price's  forces,  on  the  27th,  were  in  front  of  Ironton, 
then  garrisoned  by  General  Ewing.  A  skirmish  ensued,  which 
resulted  in  the  capture  of  a  small  detachment  of  the  Federals, 
and  Price  then  marched  towards  Jefferson  city.  There  he  was 
met  by  a  stout  resistance,  and  compelled  to  move  on  Boone- 
ville.  General  Pleasanton  pursued  him  with  8,000  cavalry, 
forcing  him  to  leave  his  task  unaccomplished.  On  the  23d  of 
October  he  was  attacked,  and  defeated  with  great  loss — Gen 
erals  Marmaduke  and  Cabell  being  taken  prisoners,  besides 
many  officers  and  men.  On  the  following  day,  Price  was  again 
attacked,  near  Fort  Scott,  and  obliged  hurriedly  to  retreat  into 
Kansas.  He  then  turned  down  to  the  South,  and  crossed  the 
Arkansas  river,  above  Fort  Smith,  in  the  Indian  territory.  On 
the  8th  of  December,  his  headquarters  were  at  Washington,  in 
the  south  part  of  Arkansas,  his  troops  at  that  time  greatly 
suffering  from  the  weather.  Later  accounts,  up  to  the  end  of 
January,  1865,  place  him  at  Fulton,  on  the  Bed  river. 


5  M  !  T 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  EDMUND  KIRBY  SMITH. 


LIEUTENANT-GKNEKAL  E.  KIRBY  SMITH  was  born  in  Florida, 
about  the  year  1824,  and  is  connected,  by  ties  of  blood,  with 
others  of  his  name  in  the  Federal  army,  and  in  the  State  of  Con 
necticut.  His  father  was  the  late  Joseph  S.  Smith,  at  one 
time  a  lawyer,  residing  in  Litchfield,  Connecticut.  This 
father  married  Frances,  daughter  of  Judge  Ephraim  Kirby,  of 
that  place — the  author  of  "Kirby's  Connecticut  Reports." 
Lawyer  Smith  was  appointed  a  major  of  the  United  States 
army  in  the  early  part  of  the  war  of  1812.  He  was  afterwards 
promoted  to  Colonel,  and  served  during  the  war  on  the  Canada 
frontier.  After  the  war  he  was  appointed  United  States  Judge 
for  the  district  of  Florida,  and  removed,  with  his  family,  to  St. 
Augustine,  where  he  died  about  the  year  1841.  He  had  two 
sons ;  the  eldest,  Ephraim  Kirby,  graduated  at  West  Point, 
and  was  a  captain  in  the  regular  army  during  the  Mexican 
war.  He  was  killed  at  Molino  del  Rey. 

The  second  son,  Edmund  Kirby,  graduated  at  "West  Point, 
on  the  30th  of  June,  1845,  and  was  made  brevet-second-lieu 
tenant  of  the  5th  infantry,  then  with  General  Taylor  in  Mexico. 
Kirby  Smith  was  at  the  battles  of  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca ;  after 
which  he  was  made  full  second-lieutenant,  and  assigned  to  the 
7th  regiment,  with  which  command  he  participated  in  the 
taking  of  Monterey,  highly  distinguishing  himself  by  his 
bravery.  He  was  afterwards  with  Scott  at  Yera  Cruz  ;  and, 
at  Cerro  Gordo,  obtained  a  brevet  as  first-lieutenant,  for  gal 
lant  and  meritorious  conduct,  the  brevet  appointment  dating 
April  18th,  1846.  At  Contreras,  he  had  another  brevet,  as 
captain,  given  him  for  good  service;  and,  throughout  the 


438  SOUTH  KEN    GENERALS. 

Mexican  war  his  conduct  was  such  as  to  merit  and  receive  ap 
probation  from  his  superiors. 

In  1849,  Captain  Smith  was  appointed  Assistant  Professor 
of  Mathematics  at  West  Point,  and  was  afterwards  captain  in 
the  same  cavalry  regiment  with  R.  E.  Lee  and  others  already 
mentioned.  Accompanying  this  regiment,  lie  had  much  op 
portunity  for  developing  his  bravery  in  the  various  engage 
ments  with  the  Camanche  Indians,  and  in  a  desperate  battle 
with  them,  on  May  12th,  1859,  he  was  severely  wounded.  lie 
was  then  promoted  major  in  the  regular  army  ;  but  when  his 
native  State  seceded,  in  1861,  he  immediately  resigned  his  com 
mission,  and  gave  his  sword  and  services  to  the  cause  of  the 
South. 

At  this  time  he  had,  as  we  have  already  intimated,  several 
family  ties  in  the  North  as  well  as  the  South.  His  nephew 
was  the  late  Colonel  J.  L.  Kirby  Smith,  of  the  43d  Ohio  regi 
ment,  a  brave  officer,  promoted  from  a  lieutenancy  of  the 
topographical  engineers,  but  who  fell  in  the  battle  of  Corinth.* 
It  is  also  stated  that  a  gallant  young  officer,  Lieutenant  Kirby, 
in  command  of  Rickett's  battery  of  regulars,  late  in  the  day  at 
Bull  Run,  1861,  was  a  relation  of  his.  His  sister  was  the 
widow  of  the  late  Colonel  L.  B.  Webster,  United  States  army, 
and  then  resided  at  Geneva,  New  York.  An  aunt  and  a  first 
cousin  were  also  in  New  York  ;  but  his  mother  remained  in. 
Florida,  at  St.  Augustine. 

The  private  character  of  Kirby  Smith  is  represented  to  have 
been  "  above  reproach,  as  a  gentleman  and  a  Christian.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and,  a  few  years  since, 
entertained  serious  thoughts  of  giving  up  his  profession  and 
studying  for  the  ministry."  A  writer,  speaking  of  him,  says, 
"he  is  a  remarkably  active  man,  and  of  very  agreeable  man 
ners,  wearing  big  spectacles  and  black  beard." 

Kirby  Smith,  upon  offering  his  services,  was  immediately 

*  The  following  extract  from  General  Stanley's  report  of  the  battle  of 
Corinth,  will  show  in  what  estimation  Colonel  Smith  was  held,  as  a  soldier : 

"  Soon,  in  the  battle  on  the  4th  inst.,  Colonel  J.  L.  Kirby  Smith,  of  the  43d 
Ohio,  fell  with  a  mortal  wound.  I  have  not  words  to  describe  the  qualities  of 
this  model  soldier,  or  to  express  the  loss  we  have  sustained  in  his  death.  The 
best  testimony  I  can  give  to  his  memory  is  the  spectacle  witnessed  by  myself, 
in  the  very  moment  of  battle,  of  stern,  brave  men,  weeping  like  children  as 
the  word  passed,  '  Kirby  Smith  is  killed.'  " 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  EDMUND    KIKBY    SMITH.  439 

made  colonel  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  was  sent  to 
serve  with  General  Johnston,  then  at  Harper's  Ferry.  He 
there  had  charge  of  a  brigade,  and  was,  in  fact,  a  brigadier- 
general,  though,  it  appears,  his  rank  was  not  confirmed  till 
after  the  battle  of  Manassas.  In  this  engagement  Kirby  Smith, 
having  been  delayed  (by  some  treachery,  it  is  said)  with  his 
portion  of  Johnston's  forces  from  the  Shenandoah,  arrived  on 
the  ground  about  half-past  three,  p.  M.,  of  the  21st  of  July, 
1861.  lie  had  come,  with  his  troops,  by  the  cars,  intending  to 
go  right  on  to  Manassas  as  previously  directed  ;  but,  when 
near  the  battlefield,  the  firing  told  him  that  an  engagement 
was  in  progress.  Accordingly,  he  stopped  the  cars,  and  pre 
pared  his  men  to  march,  at  once,  to  the  scene  of  contest.  Ad 
vancing  through  the  fields,  and  receiving  directions  from 
General  Johnston  how  to  move,  he  came  suddenly  upon  the 
enemy's  right  flank  and  rear,  with  what  result  is  known.  For 
himself,  personally,  however,  there  was  not  the  opportunity  to 
do  much.  In  moving  forward,  he  was  struck  by  a  ball  and 
severely  wounded.  His  command,  threfore,  had  to  be  led  by 
Colonel  Elzey,  who  admirably  accomplished,  "with  great 
promptitude  and  vigor,"  the  movement  so  effectual  in  defeat 
ing  the  Federal  army.  In  the  official  reports,  however,  full 
praise  is  given  to  General  Smith  for  the  able  and  rapid  dispo 
sition  of  his  forces  he  had  displayed. 

From  the  battlefield  of  Manassas,  Kirby  Smith  was  taken  to 
Lynchburg,  where  his  wTound  was  effectually  healed.  Upon 
his  recovery,  he  was  married,  on  the  24th  of  September,  to 
Cassie,  daughter  of  Samuel  S.  Selden,  deceased,  of  Lynchburg. 
He  then  appears  to  have  visited  his  native  home,  and,  after  a 
short  rest,  returned  again  to  the  army  of  the  Potomac.  In  the 
beginning  of  November,  his  brigade  was  stationed  at  Camp 
Wigfall,  on  the  Orange  and  Alexandria  railroad,  near  Bull 
Run,  Yan  Dorn's  being  also  close  by. 

Late  in  February,  1862,  Kirby  Smith,  having  been  made  a 
major-general,  was  appointed  to  command  the  Confederate 
forces  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cumberland  gap,  and  in  East 
Tennessee,  and  during  the  following  month  arrived  at  his  post. 
He  immediately  proclaimed  martial  law,  in  accordance  with 
directions  received  from  President  Davis,  and  appointed  Colo 
nel  Churchwell  provost-marshal.  This  law  was  very  stringent 


440  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

as  regarded  the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors,  and,  on  one  occasion, 
at  Jonesboro,  Tennessee,  a  large  seizure  was  made  for  infring 


ing  it. 


In  the  summer  of  1862,  it  was  decided  that  General  Bragg 
should  advance  into  Kentucky,  while  Kirby  Smith's  forces 
were  to  operate  more  to  the  eastward,  and  seem  to  threaten 
Cincinnati.  This  great  movement  was  followed  out  as  pre 
viously  related,  and  General  Smith's  army  marched  through 
the  gaps  in  the  Cumberland  mountains,  where  they  were 
joined,  in  August,  by  Claiborne's  division.  The  troops  then 
made  forced  inarches  to  Barboursville,  Kentucky.  Here  they 
halted  long  enough  merely  to  get  water,  and  then  pushed  on  to 
the  Cumberland  ford.  At  that  place,  a  few  days'  rest  were  given 
to  the  wearied  men,  who  had  been  marching  almost  barefoot 
over  stony  roads,  through  mountain  passes,  and  with  green 
corn,  garnished  with  a  small  supply  of  poor  beef,  for  their 
food.  Again  moving  forward,  the  forces  of  General  Smith 
were  descending  the  Big  Hill,  not  far  from  Eichmond,  Ken 
tucky,  on  the  morning  of  August  29th,  when  the  Federals 
were  discovered  in  front,  indicating  a  determination  for  battle. 
This  Kirby  Smith  did  not  hesitate  in  giving  them.  Advan 
cing  two  or  three  miles  further,  the  enemy  was  found  drawn  up 
in  line  of  battle  near  Mount  Zion  church,  six  miles  from  Rich 
mond,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  30th,  the  leading  division  of 
the  Confederates,  under  General  Claiborne,  commenced  the 
action.  The  fight  soon  became  general,  and  after  a  severe 
struggle,  in  which  General  Churchill  and  Colonel  Preston  Smith 
bore  a  conspicuous  part,  the  enemy  was  defeated,  and  Kirbv 
Smith  held  the  field.  Next  morning,  he  ordered  the  cavalry 
to  go  round  to  the  north  of  Richmond  and  attempt  to  cut  off 
the  enemy's  retreat,  and,  while  this  was  being  done,  the  Con 
federates  in  front  ceased  firing.  Mistaking  this  for  a  retreat, 
the  Federals  gallantly  pushed  forward,  and  charged  upon  the 
Texas  and  Arkansas  troops  under  McCray.  This  heroic  bri 
gade  stood  the  ground  almost  alone,  but  succeeded  in  driving 
back  the  enemy  with  terrible  loss,  and  in  great  confusion, 
leaving  knapsacks,  swords,  pistols,  hats,  and  canteens  scattered 
along  the  road,  with  the  dead  and  dying. 

The  Federal  army,  now  under  command  of  General  Nelson, 
—who  had  just  arrived  and  relieved  General   Manson, — re- 


LIEUTENAXT-GENERAL    EDMUND    KIRBY    SMITH.  441 

treated  to  Richmond,  swiftly  followed  by  Kirby  Smith.  At 
the  town,  however,  Xelson  had  determined  to  make  another 
stand  ;  and,  for  the  second  time,  that  day — the  third  time  since 
meeting  each  other — the  Confederates  and  Federals  again  tried 
their  strength.  The  result  was,  another  victory  to  the  South 
ern  troops  ;  and  on  this,  the  31st  day  of  August,  1862,  General 
Kirby  Smith  was  completely  master  of  the  place.  Next  day, 
General  Smith  continued  the  march,  and  on  the  4th  of  Sep 
tember  he  arrived  at  Lexington.  There  his  reception  by  the 
inhabitants  was  very  enthusiastic,  and  abounding  in  evidences 
of  the  most  friendly  welcome.  It  is  related,  that  streets,  win 
dows,  and  gardens  were  filled  with  ladies  and  little  girls, 
with  streamers  of  red  and  blue  ribbons  and  flags  with  stars. 
Beautiful  women  seized  the  hard  brown  hands  of  rouirh  and 

O 

ragged  soldiers,  and  with  tears  and  smiles  thanked  them  again 
and  again  for  coming  into  Kentucky  and  freeing  them  from 
the  presence  of  those  who  had  been  of  late  in  authority  over 
them.  For  hours  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  was  unbounded. 
At  every  corner  of  the  streets,  baskets  of  provisions  and  buckets 
of  water  were  placed  for  the  refreshment  of  the  wearied  sol 
diers,  and  hundreds  of  the  men  were  presented  with  shoes, 
hats,  coats,  and  tobacco,  from  the  grateful  people,  while  pri 
vate  residences  were  turned,  for  the  time,  into  public  houses  of 
entertainment.  But,  if  the  reception  of  the  infantry  was  enthu 
siastic,  the  cheers  of  wild  delight  which  greeted  General  John 
Morgan's  cavalry  as  they  came  dashing  through  the  streets, 
amidst  clouds  of  dust,  was  without  a  parallel.  The  bells  of 
the  city  pealed  forth  their  joyous  welcome,  whilst  the  waving 
of  thousands  of  white  handkerchiefs  and  tiny  flags  attested 
the  gladness  and  delight  of  every  heart. 

And  thus  the  victorious  forces  of  Kirby  Smith  marched  on. 
From  among  the  rocky  passes  of  the  wild  Cumberland  moun 
tains  to  the  town  of  Lexington,  they  had  gone  through  much 
of  that  fearful  toil  of  travel  an  army  so  often  has  to  endure. 
But  here  was,  at  least,  some  partial  recompense ;  and  hope  led 
them  on  still  further.  Cincinnati  was  the  desired  goal,  and 
rapidly  from  Lexington,  on  to  Paris,  next  to  Cynthiana,  and 
finally  to  within  a  short  distance  of  the  Queen  City  of  the 
West,  did  the  joyous  troops  of  the  South  wend  their  way. 
Then  came  fear,  and  something  of  a  panic,  among  the  startled 


442  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

citizens  of  the  place.  Ohio  was  firm  in  allegiance  to  the  North, 
and  had  skilful  and  brave  commanders,  besides  its  own  heroic 
volunteer  militia,  in  the  frontier  cities,  to  defend  it — particu 
larly  in  Cincinnati;  hut  here  was  Kirby  Smith  right  before 
them,  and  Bragg,  with  another  army,  marching  swiftly  for 
ward,  as  was  supposed,  to  the  attack.  It  so  happened,  how 
ever,  that  such  was  not  the  intention  of  General  Bragg.  The 
orders  given  to  Kirby  Smith  were,  "to  menace,  not  attack;" 
and  the  purposes  of  the  campaign  required  that  Smith's  com 
mand,  alter  making  its  demonstration  on  the  Ohio,  should  fall 
back  into  the  interior,  to  co-operate  with  the  splendid  army 
Bragg  had  brought  into  Kentucky.  The  consequence  was 
that,  in  a  few  days,  General  Smith  retired  from  before  Cin 
cinnati,  and  directed  his  march  to  Frankfort,  where  he  ar 
rived  prior  to  Bragg,  who  reached  there  on  the  4th  of  October. 

The  movements  of  the  Federals  now  led  General  Smith  to 
suppose  that  they  would  come  upon  him,  and  not  upon  Bragg's 
forces,  then,  mainly,  with  the  rear  at  Perry ville;  and  thus,  in 
the  battle  which  followed  at  the  latter  place,  Smith's  com 
mand  was  not  engaged,  he  not  having  received  orders  to  move 
there  until  too  late.  On  the  9th  of  October  he  arrived  at  Har- 
rodsburg,  and  joined  the  main  army.  In  the  retreat  of  the 
Confederates,  as  already  related,  General  Smith's  command 
took  the  advance,  and  in  repassing  those  places  where,  but  a 
short  time  before,  such  joy  had  been  shown,  it  was  painful  as 
well  as  humiliating  to  witness  the  sorrowful  expressions  now 
displayed.  However,  there  was  nothing  for  him  but  to  obey, 
and  the  army  then  proceeded  by  the  way  in  which  they  had 
come.  On  the  10th  of  October  there  was  an  engagement  of 
five  hours,  between  a  part  of  his  command  and  the  Federals, 
under  Colonel  E.  A.  Parrott,  of  the  1st  Ohio  Volunteers,  and, 
after  this,  the  army  pursued  its  way  unmolested,  reaching  Ten 
nessee,  October  24th. 

Kirby  Smith  was  now  made  a  lieutenant-general,  and,  for  a 
short  time,  was  absent  on  leave,  in  consequence  of  ill  health, 
but  returned  to  his  post  again  early  in  November,  retaining 
command  of  the  East  Tennessee  department,  with  a  portion  of 
his  troops  there,  while  the  rest  were  in  the  vicinity  of  Mur- 
freesboro.  At  the  battle  which  there  took  place,  his  corps  was, 
first,  on  the  right,  with  Morgan's  cavalry,  and  afterwards  had 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    EDMUND    KTRBY    SMITH.  443 

the  centre.  The  result  of  the  three  days'  fight  we  have  already 
shown,  and  will  now  proceed  to  the  after  movements  of  Gen 
eral  Smith. 

Early  in  January,  1863,  he  arrived  in  Richmond,  owing  to 
recent  changes  made  in  the  army,  and  in  March  he  was  ap 
pointed  to  the  department  west  of  the  Mississippi.  In  the 
early  part  of  April  he  arrived  there,  and  assumed  command 
through  a  general  order,  which  named  Alexandria,  Louisiana, 
as  his  headquarters.  In  May,  he  was  at  Shrieveport,  Louisi 
ana,  with  his  wife,  and  throughout  the  following  months  was 
occupied,  in  conjunction  with  the  several  military  commanders 
under  him,  in  resisting  the  advances  of  Banks  from  New  Or 
leans  to  Alexandria,  and  beyond.  His  movements,  however, 
have  not  been  made  well  known,  until,  in  the  beginning  of 
September,  we  find  him  at  Arkadelphia,  with  the  main  Con 
federate  army.  The  events  that  occurred  in  that  department 
have  already  been  recorded.  Kirby  Smith  returned  to  his 
former  quarters,  and,  in  April,  1864,  successfully  resisted  Gen 
eral  Banks'  renewed  attempt  up  the  .Red  river,  beyond  PEcore. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  next  month  he  was  with  Price,  at 
Camden,  Arkansas,  and  issued  the  following  address  to  the  army : 

HEADQUARTERS,  TRANS-MISSISSIPPI  DEPARTMENT,  t 
CAMDEN,  Ark.,  May  3,  1864.         \ 
SOLDIERS  OF  THE  TRANS-MISSISSIPPI  DEPARTMENT  : 

Once  more,  in  the  hour  of  victory,  we  are  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  heroic  dead. 

Generals  "VV.  R.  Scurry  and  Horace  Randal  have  fallen  upon 
the  field  of  honor.  At  Jenkins'  ferry  they  offered  themselves 
up,  precious  victims  on  the  altar  of  liberty. 

Mouton  and  Green  are  gone ;  Scurry  and  Randal  have  fol 
lowed  on  the  same  glorious  path.  Be  it  ours  to  emulate  their 
virtues  and  valor,  and  to  act  as  men  not  unworthy  to  associate 
with  such  heroes. 

The  colors  of  their  respective  brigades  will  be  draped  in 
mourning  for  thirty  days. 

E.  KIKBY  SMITH,  General  Commanding. 

HEADQUARTERS,  TRANS-MISSISSIPPI  DEPARTMENT,  ) 
CAMDEN,  Ark.,  May  4,  1864.     f 
SOLDIERS  OF  THE  TRANS-MISSISSIPPI  DEPARTMENT: 

The  campaign  inaugurated  at  Mansfield  on  the  day  of  na- 


SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

tional  fast  and  supplication  lias,  under  Providence,  been 
crowned  with  most  glorious  and  brilliant  success.  You  have 
defeated  a  foe  three  times  your  own.  The  fields  of  Mansfield, 
Pleasant  Hill,  Cloutierville,  Poison  Spring,  Marks'  Mill,  and 
Jenkins'  ferry  attest  your  devotion.  Eight  thousand  killed 
and  wounded,  six  thousand  prisoners,  thirty-four  pieces  of  ar 
tillery,  twelve  hundred  wagons,  one  gunboat  and  three  trans 
ports,  are  already  the  fruits  of  your  victories.  The  path  of 
glory  is  still  open  to  you — permanent  security  to  your  homes 
before  you.  Call  together  your  comrades,  and,  shoulder  to 
shoulder,  we  will  yet  free  the  soil  of  our  beloved  country  from 
the  invader's  footsteps.  Soldiers  of  Arkansas,  Missouri,  Texas, 
and  Louisiana,  you  have  the  thanks  of  a  grateful  people. 
Your  living  will  be  respected — your  dead  honored  and  revered. 

E.  KIRBY  SMITH,  General. 

From  this  date,  General  Smith  has  been  occupied  in  moving 
to  the  different  posts  of  his  department  in  Texas  and  Louisiana. 
Complaints  have  been  made  concerning  his  apparent  inactivity, 
and  of  late  some  very  serious  differences  seem  to  have  arisen 
between  him  and  the  authorities  at  Richmond ;  statements 
having  been  made  in  the  press  reflecting  greatly  upon  his 
patriotism.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  these  accusations,  like  many 
similar  ones  regarding  others,  will  prove  to  be  unjust,  and  that 
time  will  show  the  lustre  of  his  character  undimmed,  as  it 
stands  before  the  world  associated  with  those  most  honorable 
of  his  fellow-generals. 


MAJOR-GENERAL  JOHN  II.  MORGAN. 


THIS  bold  and  daring  chief  was  born  near  Lexington,  Ken 
tucky,  about  the  year  1827.  His  parents  were  of  good  repute, 
though  not  of  the  wealthy  class,  and  they  had  a  large  family 
to  maintain.  John  was  the  eldest  of  six  brothers,  all  of  whom, 
save  one,  have  devoted  themselves,  their  means,  and  all  they 
possessed,  to  the  cause  of  the  South.  Their  names  are  Calvin, 
who  always  acted  as  agent,  in  Kentucky,  for  his  brother  John ; 
Colonel  Richard,  who  wras  adjutant-general  to  A.  P.  Hill ; 
Major  Charlton,  who  formerly  represented  the  United  States 
Government  abroad,  but  lately  was  in  his  brother's  command ; 
and  Lieutenant  Thomas  Morgan,  also  in  the  same  command, 
and  twice  captured.  'There  was,  likewise,  a  cousin,  whom  we 
find  mentioned  serving  as  a  private  soldier. 

When  the  Mexican  war  broke  out,  Morgan  joined  the  First 
Kentucky  regiment  as  a  private,  and  went  to  share  in  some  of 
those  hard-fought  battles  so  well  known.  For  his  bravery  and 
good  conduct,  he  was  promoted  from  the  ranks  to  a  second- 
lieutenant,  and  returned  home  in  that  capacity. 

About  this  time  he  purchased  an  establishment,  and  en 
gaged  in  the  manufacture  of  jeans,  linseys,  and  bagging  for  the 
Southern  market.  About  the  same  time,  he  married  Miss 
Rebecca  Bruce,  who,  after  years  of  sickness,  died  at  the  com 
mencement  of  the  present  war.  Morgan  then  determined  to 
take  up  arms  for  the  South,  and  secretly  collected  a  little  band 
of  followers,  who  elected  him  captain,  and  each  provided  his 
own  arms,  horse,  and  equipments.  Escaping  from  Lexington, 
where  they  had  been  closely  watched,  they  started  forth  in 
quest  of  adventure. 

This  was  in  the  fall  of  1861,  when  Buckner  was  at  Bowling 


446  SOUTHERN   GENERALS. 

Green  ;  and  thither  Morgan  and  his  companions  went.  On 
the  30th  of  September  they  arrived  at  the  Confederate  camp, 
on  Green  river,  opposite  Munfordsville,  where  they  were  cor 
dially  received.  Captain  Morgan  not  wishing  to  be  united  to 
any  particular  command,  asked  to  be  allowed  to  serve  as  a 
partisan  ranger,  but  it  was  not  deemed  prudent  to  grant  his 
request.  He,  therefore,  moved  to  the  north  bank  of  the  river, 
rented  a  vacant  house  for  his  men,  and,  with  this  as  his  head 
quarters,  made  the  country  between  Green  river  and  Bacon 
creek  the  scene  of  many  daring  exploits. 

Early  in  the  year  1862,  Morgan  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Colonel — his  men  having  already  increased  to  the  number  of 
a  regiment.  Soon  afterwards  the  Confederates  retreated  from 
Bowling  Green  to  Murfreesboro,  and  the  rear  of  the  army  was 
covered  by  Morgan's  and  Colonel  Forest's  cavalry.  General 
Buell  now  occupied  Nashville ;  and  on  the  loth  of  March, 
Morgan  made  a  successful  raid  in  the  rear  of  the  Federal 

o 

army. 

On  the  19th  of  March,  he  again  passed  through  Gallatin,  at 
night,  and  the  next  day  captured  a  train  of  cars,  bound  down 
the  road.  The  up-train  soon  came  in  sight,  and  Morgan,  indi 
vidually,  signalled  it  to  stop.  On  board  of  this  train  was  an 
old  friend  of  Morgan,  a  physician  in  the  Federal  army,  now 
residing  at  Louisville.  From  this  fact  alone,  John  permitted 
the  locomotive,  with  his  friend,  to  proceed  North,  shouting,  as 
it  started,  "Tell  Guthrie  that  you  have  saved  him  twelve 
thousand  dollars  !"  Morgan's  men  then  destroyed  two  water- 
tanks,  and  tore  up  about  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the  road.  He 
immediately  retired  his  forces,  now  fifteen  hundred  in  number, 
and  located  himself  near  Sparta,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
middle  section  of  Tennessee. 

His  exploits, however,  extended  far  and  wide;  and  not  a  few 
dashing  adventures  had  he  and  his  men  at  this  time.  One 
day,  in  the  vicinity  of  Nashville,  while  riding  in  advance  of  his 
command,  he  met  a  Federal  colonel  and  his  staff,  trotting 

leisurely  along.  "Halt!"  said  Morgan.  "I'll  be  d d  iff 

do,"  was  the  reply.  "  I  have  already  been  halted  a  half-dozen 
times  since  I  left  Nashville,  and  I'll  submit  to  it  no  longer. 
Who  are  you,  any  how  ?"  Quickly  drawing  out  his  pistol,  and 
presenting  it,  he  very  quietly  replied,  "  Morgan ;  and  you  are 


MAJOR    GENERAL    JOHN    H.    MORGAN.  417 

my  prisoner."  The  Federal  officer  made  no  further  resistance. 
He  and  his  escort,  besides  a  considerable  force  in  the  rear,  were 
captured  ;  but  Morgan  was  pursued,  and  had  to  hurry  away. 

On  another  occasion,  with  forty  of  his  men,  he  dashed  in 
among  the  enemy's  pickets,  and  captured  eighteen  out  of  thirty. 
A  few  days  after,  he  nearly  succeeded,  by  an  ambush,  in  cap 
turing  General  McCook  and  his  staff.  Again,  disguising  him 
self  as  a  wagoner  from  the  country,  and  entering  Nashville 
alone,  he  personally  communicated  with  General  Buell,  and 
induced  that  officer  to  believe  a  shrewd  tale,  which  ultimately 
led  to  the  capture  of  about  seventy  of  the  Federal  cavalry. 
His  next  exploit  was  an  expedition  to  Lebanon,  where  a  small 
detachment  of  Federals  was  stationed.  These  were  easily  se 
cured,  the  prisoners  paroled,  and  their  arms  distributed  among 
the  captors,  who,  with  their  work  accomplished,  then  lay  down 
to  rest.  But  at  daylight  an  alarm  was  given  :  "  The  enemy  is 
upon  us,"  was  the  cry;  and  before  they  could  prepare  for  a  de 
fence,  General  Dumont,  with  a  strong  force,  appeared.  Re 
sistance  was  useless.  "  Save,  who  can,"  was  the  order  from 
Morgan;  and  though  a  number  were  captured  and  killed — 
among  the  former,  Morgan's  younger  brother — many  more 
escaped.  Morgan,  mounted  on  his  beautiful  mare,  dashed 
through  the  advancing  ranks  of  the  enemy,  cutting  his  way 
right  and  left.  His  noble  animal  was  shot  under  him,  and  it 
was  only  by  the  most  reckless  during  and  courageous  self-pos 
session  that  he  saved  his  life.  Even  parties  opposed  to  the 
South  acknowledged,  in  speaking  of  this  engagement,  that 
"  the  fight  was  a  gallant  one  ;  Morgan's  men  resisting  the  at 
tack  of  our  force  for  nearly  two  hours." 

The  disaster  attending  this  sudden  surprise  at  Lebanon, 
made  Morgan  almost  insanely  determined  to  match  it  by  a  like 
return  ;  and  the  following  incident  has  been  related  as  truthful 
concerning  him. 

In  one  of  the  telegraph  offices  on  the  line  between  Lousiville 
and  Nashville,  was  seated  one  day,  the  operator,  looking  very 
grmn.  He  had  just  sent  forward  a  dispatch  relative  to  Mor 
gan's  captured  men,  and  was  making  some  very  strong  obser 
vations  about  the  famous  raider,  when  a  horseman  alighted  at 
the  door,  and,  with  whip  in  hand,  carelessly  walked  in.  The 
intruder  had  on  a  butternut  suit,  all  bespattered  with  mud, 


44:8  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

and  an  old  slouched  hat,  with  rim  partly  torn  off.  Stepping 
forward  to  a  vacant  chair,  he  seated  himself,  and  asked  for 
news.  " No  news,"  was  the  curt  reply.  A  morning  journal 
lying  on  the  desk,  the  stranger,  reaching  out  his  hand  with  the 
most  perfect  sangfroid,  took  the  paper,  opened  it,  and  began 
to  read.  Glancing  down  the  first  column,  lie  presently  said  : 
"  John  Morgan  at  work  again  !  Great  pity  that  man  can't  be 
caught — he  plays  the  wild  with  every  thing."  At  mention  of 
Morgan's  name  the  operator,  with  great  vehemence,  remarked, 
"  If  I  had  him  here  I  would  soon  put  a  ball  through  his 
cursed  body.  No  more  pranks  from  him,  the  mighty  John 
Morgan,  I  tell  you  !"  "Why,  you  wouldn't  kill  him — would 
you  ?*'  asked  the  stranger,  quietly  looking  up  from  his  paper, 
and  lifting  the  torn  brim  of  his  old  hat.  "  Kill  him  ?"  was  the 
response ;  "  aye,  that  I  would,  sooner  than  I'd  shoot  a  mad 
dog.  I  just  dare  him,  at  any  time,  to  cross  that  door,  and  if 
he  isn't  a  dead  man  in  five  minutes,  there's  no  truth  in  me." 

The  stranger  rose,  took  off  his  hat,  and,  with  a  quiet  mien 
and  gentle  voice,  said,  "  I  am  John  Morgan,  sir:  execute  your 
threat.  Here  is  a  pistol  ;  you  are  entirely  welcome  to  use  it." 
As  he  spoke,  he  fixed  his  large,  piercing  eyes  steadfastly  upon 
the  operator.  The  latter,  amazed,  was  hardly  able  to  answer. 
He  fell  back,  pale,  and  trembling,  and  making  numerous  apol 
ogies,  saying  he  had  no  idea  that  the  stranger  could  be  Colonel 
Morgan  ;  and  he  hoped  he  would  forgive  him.  "  You  have 
my  pardon,  sir,"  replied  Morgan,  in  a  firm,  gentlemanly  tone. 
"  Another  time  I  would  advise  you  to  be  less  boastful  of  your 
courage  and  veracity.  I  have  but  little  time  to  stay.  Seat 
yourself,  and  send  the  messages  that  I  shall  dictate,  to  Louis 
ville.  Make  no  mistake.  If  you  do,  your  life  is  the  forfeit. 
I  understand  the  operation,  sir,  therefore  don't  attempt  to  give 
any  information  but  what  I  instruct  you."  The  command  be 
ing  readily  obeyed,  Morgan  then  said,  "Now,  show  me  all  the 
dispatches  that  have  passed  through  this  office  in  the  last 
twenty-four  hours."  The  poor  victim  again  preferred  compli 
ance  to  the  alternative,  and  delivered  the  documents  to  his 
visitor,  who,  after  reading  them,  said,  "That  will  do,  sir  ;— 
Good  morning :"  and,  going  to  his  horse,  mounted,  and  rode 
swiftly  away. 

Immediately,  and  probably  from  the  information  thus  gained, 


MAJOK-G-KNKRAL    JOHN    H.    MORGAN.  449 

Morgan,  with  some  of  his  men,  laid  in  wait  for  a  train  from 
Louisville  bound  to  Bowling  Green,  where  a  Union  mass  meet 
ing  was  going  to  be  held.  As  the  cars  approached  Cave  City, 
half  a  dozen  horsemen  suddenly  appeared  in  front  of  the  loco 
motive,  and  sang  out,  "  Halt,"  with  a  wave  of  the  hands  as  a 
signal.  But  the  engineer  not  stopping,  some  thirty  others 
appeared,  armed  to  the  teeth,  and  ready  to  aim  at  him  and  the 
passengers.  Immediately  the  alarmed  cry  arose,  "Morgan! 
Morgan  !"  and  the  utmost  confusion  prevailed.  The  cars 
were  stopped,  the  rails  behind  and  before  obstructed,  and 
the  horsemen  immediately  demanded  the  surrender  of  all  sol 
diers  and  freight  belonging  to  the  Federal  government.  Mor 
gan  himself  entered  the  ladies'  car,  and  as  he  stood  for  a  mo 
ment,  every  eye  was  fixed  upon  him  with  a  look  of  terror. 
"Be  quiet,  ladies,"  said  he,  with  a  pleasant  smile,  "none  of 
you  shall  be  hurt ;  I  only  want  the  blue-coated  gentlemen." 
He  then  approached  an  officer  seated  by  the  side  of  his  wife, 
who  imploringly  entreated  of  Morgan  not  to  take  him.  "  Spare 
my  husband,  Colonel  Morgan  !  Don't  take  him  from  me," 
she  cried.  "For  God's,  sake  don't  take  him.  Have  mercy — 
mercy  on  me,  colonel,  and  spare  him  to  me.  I  appeal  to  you 
as  a  gentleman  ;  to  your  generosity  ;  to  your  kindness  ;  for  my 
sake,  don't  take  him  away."  Morgan  replied,  "  I  will  not, 
madam.  Take  him  yourself,  and  teach  him  better  than  to 
come  down  here  to  kill  Southern  people.  That  is  all  I  ask. 
Will  you  promise  me  this  ?"  The  grateful  woman  did  so, 
thanking  him  in  the  most  passionate  terms.  In  another  part 
of  the  cars,  however,  a  Major  Helveti  was  taken,  and  some 
Government  funds  and  stores.  There  was  also  in  a  safe  some 
§30,000  of  private  funds  belonging  to  a  cotton  firm  at  Louis 
ville  ;  and  this,  Morgan  assured  the  agent,  should  not  be 
touched.  "  My  men  are  not  thieves,"  said  he,  u  and  not  a 
cent  of  private  property  shall  be  molested." 

On  the  llth  of  May,  with  his  reorganized  but  diminished 
company,  Morgan  dashed  into  Oakland,  capturing  all  Federals 
on  duty,  rode  furiously  on  to  Glasgow,  which  he  entered  next 
day,  and  then  proceeded  to  Burksville.  From  Burksville, 
Morgan  proceeded  to  Sparta,  Tennessee,  and  arrived  there  on 
the  Tuesday  night,  after  riding  through  by-ways  and  bridle 
paths,  some  170  miles  from  Oakland. 

29 


450  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

A  few  days  after  the  affair  just  mentioned,  he*  was  at  Chat 
tanooga  on  a  peaceful  mission,  and  then  moved  up  the  valley 
to  Knoxville.  Here  he  recruited  his  forces  awhile,  strengthen 
ing  and  increasing  them,  and,  receiving  an  appointment  as 
acting  brigadier-general,  under  Kirby  Smith  (who  was  in 
command  of  East  Tennessee),  lie  started  off  again  into  Ken 
tucky. 

Tompkinsville,  Lebanon,  Harrodsburg,  Versailles,  Cynthi- 
ana,  Winchester,  and  many  other  towns,  were  favored  with  his 
presence  and  some  practical  understanding  of  his  peculiar 
style  of  warfare,  until,  arriving  at  a  point  between  Livingston 
and  Sparta,  he  encamped,  after  as  bold  a  raid  as  could  have 
then  been  possibly  conceived.  At  several  of  the  places  his 
telegraph  operator  worked  the  wires  effectually;  and  what  the 
command  accomplished  may  be  told  in  the  conclusion  of  Mor 
gan's  own  report.  lie  says  : 

"  I  left  Knoxville  on  the  4th  day  of  this  month  (July)  with 
about  900  men,  and  returned  to  Livingston  on  the  28th  inst., 
with  nearly  1,200,  having  been  absent  just  twenty-four  days, 
during  which  time  I  travelled  over  a  thousand  miles,  captured 
seventeen  towns,  destroyed  all  the  Government  supplies  and 
arms  in  them,  dispersed  about  1,500  Home-guards,  and  parolled 
nearly  1,200  regular  troops.  I  lost  in  killed,  wounded,  and 
missing,  of  the  number  that  I  carried  into  Kentucky,  about 
ninety." 

From  his  encampment,  near  Sparta,  Morgan  seems  to  have 
gone,  personally,  to  Knoxville — perhaps  to  consult  with  Kirby 
Smith — for,  on  the  4th  of  August,  1862,  he  issued  this  stirring1 

'  O  *  O 

order  to  his  men  from  that  place : 

"  SOLDIERS — Your  country  makes  a  fresh  appeal  to  your  pat 
riotism  and  courage ! 

"  It  has  been  decided  that  Kentucky  must  be  freed  from  the 
detested  Northern  yoke,  and  who  are  so  fit  to  carry  out  this 
order  as  yourselves  ? 

"The.  road  is  well  known  to  you.  You  have  already  taught 
the  tyrants  at  Tompkinsville,  Lebanon,  and  Cynthiana,  that 
where  Southern  hearts  nerve  Southern  arms,  our  soldiers  are 
invincible. 

"  To  an  enemy  be  as  tigers — to  our  Southern  brethren  be  as 


MAJOR-GENERAL    JOHN    H.    MORGAN.  451 

lambs!     Protect  their  homes,  respect  their  homes!     Is  it  not 
that  of  jour  fathers,  mothers,  sisters,  and  friends? 

"Soldiers!  I  feel  assured  that  you  will  return  with  fresh 
laurels  to  enjoy  in  peace  the  fruits  of  your  glorious  victories. 
In  the  mean  time,  let  your  avenging  battle-cry  be  'Butler!' 
but  shout  'Kentucky'  to  your  kindred  and  friends. 

JOHN  H.  MORGAN, 
Colonel  of  Cavalry,  C.  S.  A. 

A  week  afterwards,  he  was  again  off,  and  on  the  12th  of 
August,  at  night,  he  forded  the  Cumberland  river  with  one 
thousand  men  and  four  pieces  of  artillery.  He  then  surprised 
and  captured  the  whole  of  Colonel  Boone's  command  at  Gal- 
latin,  without  firing  a  shot ;  pushed  on  for  the  railroad  in  the 
rear  of  Nashville,  so  as  to  destroy  the  track  and  cut  off  Buell's 
supplies ;  and,  reaching  the  tunnel  near  that  place,  succeeded 
in  causing  a  portion  of  the  roof  to  fall,  and  thus  effectually 
block  the  way.  This  done,  and  hearing  that  a  force  from 
Nashville  was  after  him,  lie  retreated  across  the  Cumberland, 
but  eventually  gave  the  Federal  cavalry  battle  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Gallatin.  The  result  was  a  disastrous  and  humil 
iating  flight  on  the  part  of  his  pursuers,  and  a  complete,  tri 
umphant  victory  to  Morgan  and  his  command. 

About  this  time,  Bragg  in  one  part  of  Kentucky,  and  Kirby 
Smith  more  to  the  eastward,  were  advancing  towards  the 
northern  portion  of  the  State,  and  on  the  29th  of  August, 
Morgan  moved  his  gallant  legion  to  unite  with  his  depart 
ment-commander.  The  union  was  effected  near  Lexington, 
and  the  triumphant  reception  Morgan  there  met,  from  the  in 
habitants  of  his  native  city,  we  have  already  described,  as  also 
the  subsequent  retreat  of  the  army,  in  which  Morgan  had  to 
join  his  cavalry,  covering  the  rear.  On  recrossing  the  Cum 
berland  mountains,  he  was  detached  to  follow  his  old  occupa 
tion  of  harassing  the  enemy,  after  his  own  peculiar  fashion. 
He  rested  a  short  time,  and  then  renewed  operations  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Nashville,  materially  obstructing  the  enemy's 
supplies,  and  doing  other  serious  injury.  One  anecdote  con 
cerning  his  movements  at  this  period  is  thus  related  : 

"  About  the  middle  of  November,  he  came  across  a  small 
mail-stage,  travelling  the  route  between  Bowling  Green  and 


452  SOUTH  KEN    GENERALS. 

Nashville.  Of  course,  he  quietly  captured  the  affair,  and  be 
came  the  possessor  of  a  large  quantity  of  Uncle  Sam's  postal 
matter.  The  most  interesting  correspondence  was  the  letters 
of  the  various  reporters  for  the  Yankee  press — the  New  York 
Tribune,  Times,  etc. 

"  One  letter  was  from  J.  L.  Able,  proprietor  of  the  stage 
line,  to  his  agent  at  Bowling  Green,  imploring  him.  for  God's 

sake  to  send  more  stages  through,  as  that  ' rascal,  John 

Morgan,  was  travelling  around,  and  would  be  sure  to  catch 
them.'  Thus  advised,  the  -  -  rascal  aforesaid  waited  for  the 
next  stage,  and  captured  that  also.  We  do  not  know  whether 
Mr.  Able  will  continue  his  line." 

After  this,  for  about  a  month,  Morgan  seemed  to  be  very 
quiet,  and  the  Federals  began  to  think  themselves  rid  of  their 
troublesome  customer.  But,  "  Lo  !  and  behold  !  one  fine  night, 
during  September's  new  moon,  the  great  raider  dashed  into 
Huntsville  with  fifteen  hundred  men,  killed  and  wounded  two 
hundred,  and  captured  two  thousand,  destroyed  all  of  the 
camp  equipage,  and  crossed  the  river  with  his  captives,  and 
what  spoils  he  could  carry.  This  was  the  cleverest  of  all  Mor 
gan's  successes,  and  both  sides  admitted  that  he  was  the  best  man 
in  such  business  on  the  'job.'  I  will  add,  here,  that  this  capture 
was  a  disgraceful  Federal  defeat,  and  so  called  by  Kosecrans.'' 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  delights  of  this  \vild  adven 
turous  life  to  our  hero,  it  appears  that  he  still  had  thought  for 
other  interests  more  common  to  the  heart  of  man.  We  find 
that  at  Murfreesboro,  on  Sunday,  December  4th,  1862,  after 
being  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major-general,  this  gallant 
cavalry  chief  was  in  the  evening  married  to  Miss  Ready, 
daughter  of  the  Hon.  Charles  Ready,  and  sister  of  Mrs.  Cheat- 
liam,  of  Nashville. 

This  pleasant  and  peaceful  episode,  however,  was  soon  left 
far  in  the  distance,  for  the  warrior-groom  is  found  the  day 
following  dashing  away  into  Kentucky,  ardently  as  ever,  bent 
on  new  conquest  and  achievement,  deferring  the  quiet  enjoy 
ment  of  the  wedding  trip  till  the  events  of  the  next  twenty 
days  should  be  accomplished. 


*  This  statement,  from  the  pen  of  a  Northern  writer,  is  confirmed  by  all 
other  accounts. 


MAJOR-GENERAL    JOHN    II.    MORGAN.  453 

The  account  of  his  operations  at  this  time  we  will  briefly 
give  in  the  words  of  another:  "General  Morgan's  command 
returned  to  Tennessee  Saturday  last.  In  their  campaign  in 
Kentuek}T,  the  Bacon  Creek,  Nolin,  Elizabethtown,  Shepherds- 
ville  (eighteen  miles  from  Louisville),  and  other  bridges,  were 
totally  destroyed  for  the  distance  of  eighty  miles.  The  trestle 
work  of  the  two  first  was  at  Muldrough's  Hill,  twelve  hundred 
feet  long  and  ninety  feet  high.  The  number  of  prisoners  cap 
tured  at  these  various  places  amounted  to  two  thousand.  The 
destruction  of  the  railroad  is  complete  from  Green  river  to 
tShepherdsville,  a  distance  of  seventy-five  miles.  At  Spring 
field,  General  Morgan  was  surrounded  by  twenty-six  thousand 
of  the  enemy,  and,  for  awhile,  it  seemed  his  situation  was  des 
perate,  but  he  escaped  with  his  entire  command." 

While  this  expedition  was  in  progress,  the  battle  of  Mur- 
freesboro  was  fought,  ending  on  the  day  before  Morgan's  re 
turn.  Afterwards,  as  already  mentioned,  the  army  rested  for 
some  time,  and  probably  that  portion  under  Morgan  did  the 
same,  he  being  then  absent  for  about  a  month  with  his  bride. 
In  February,  he  rejoined  his  command  at  Sparta,  Tennessee, 
and  during  that  month,  March,  and  April,  had  frequent  en 
gagements  with  parties  of  the  enemy  sent  against  him,  meet 
ing  with  repulse  more  frequently  than  before.  On  the  21st  of 
April  he  was  at  McMinnville — his  headquarters — with  his 
wife,  when  General  Reynolds,  sent  by  Rosecrans,  unexpectedly 
came  upon  him  with  a  large  force.  Morgan  barely  escaped 
with  his  life,  but  the  lady  was  captured,  though  not,  however, 
long  detained. 

For  awhile,  now,  there  was  no  opportunity  for  the  exercise 
of  Morgan's  peculiar  tactics,  but  in  June,  having  planned 
another  raid,  the  boldest  and  most  important  he  had  yet  un 
dertaken,  he  left  Sparta,  on  the  27th,  for  a  dash  through  Ken 
tucky  into  Ohio  and  Illinois.  Of  this  daring  affair,  who  has 
not  heard?  A  brief  account  of  it,  however,  we  cannot  omit, 
often  told  as  has  been  the  tale. 

On  the  2d  of  July,  Morgan,  with  a  force  of  2,028  effective 
men  and  four  pieces  of  artillery,  crossed  the  Cumberland  river 
at  Barkesville  during  the  night,  using  canoes  and  dug-outs, 
improvised  for  the  occasion ;  drove  back  Hobson's  force  of 
Federal  cavalry — inarched  on  to  Columbia,  and  defeated  Wol- 


454:  SOUTHERN    GKNEUALS. 

ford's  Kentucky  command— dashed  forward  to  Stockdale  on 
the  Green  river,  and  there  fought  a  heavy  battle  with  the 
enemy  on  the  4th  of  July.  In  this  encounter,  he  was  repulsed 
with  severe  loss;  but,  quickly  reorganizing  his  shattered 
forces,  on  he  went  again  to  Lebanon — had  a  hard  light  of  five 
hours,  captured  the  place,  with  a  vast  amount  of  stores,  over 
four  hundred  prisoners,  and  many  fine  horses,  but  with  the 
loss  of  Morgan's  gallant  young  brother  Tom,  a  lieutenant  in 
his  command.  On  the  7th,  Bragdensburg  was  reached— two 
fine  steamboats  captured— the  Federal  gunboats,  and  three 
hundred  Home-guards  fought,  and  then  the  bold  raiders 
crossed  the  Ohio  river  to  the  Indiana  shore,  next  day.  The 
following  day  they  arrived  at  Cory  don — engaged  over  four 
thousand  State  militia — dispersed  them — moved  on,  without 
halting,  through  Salisbury  and  Palmyra  to  Salem — played 
some  tricks  with  the  telegraph  wires,  and  obtained  important 
information — then  forward  again  towards  Lexington,  after  de 
stroying  bridges,  depots,  and  doing  other  considerable  damage. 

From  Lexington,  Illinois,  and  following  the  course  of  the 
Ohio,  the  command  passed  on  to  near  Vernon,  where  General 
Manson,  with  a  heavy  force,  awaited  them.  Two  hours  skirmish 
ing,  as  a  feint,  then  enabled  the  main  body  to  move  on  Dupont, 
while  squads  cut  the  railroad  in  several  important  places.  It 
was  night-time,  and  Morgan's  bonfires  aroused  the  good  people 
everywhere,  who,  however,  deemed  the  illuminations  to  be 
part  of  a  celebration  gotten  up  for  the  Federal  victories  at 
Yicksburg  and  Gettysburg,  little  dreaming  of  the  daring  band 
in  their  vicinity.  But  daylight  dissolved  the  charm,  and  a 
stampede  everywhere  ensued. 

Versailles  was  the  next  place  reached  ;  and  here  a  company 
of  militia  was  adroitly,  and  to  themselves  unwillingly,  brought 
into  Morgan's  power,  who,  however,  kindly  released  and  sent 
them  home  again.  Thence  to  Harrison,  and  at  dusk  on  to  the 
suburbs  of  Cincinnati,  skirting  it  closely  on  the  night  of  the 
13th.  At  daylight,  they  were  eighteen  miles  east  of  the  great 
city,  having  traversed  over  fifty  miles  since  the  sunset  previous. 
Men  rode  their  horses  fast  asleep,  and  were  only  aroused  by 
Morgan  himself,  chatting,  laughing,  joking,  or  giving  orders  to 
one  and  all.  Camp  Dennison  was  passed  without  any  attack 
from  the  enemy,  and  Camp  Shady  reached — seventy-five  army- 


MAJOB-GKNERAL    JOHN    H.    MORGAN.  455 

wagons  and  much  forage  destroyed  ;  and  then  Morgan  moved 
between  Chillicothe  and  Ilillsboro,  on  one  side,  and  Gallipolis 
on  the  other.  On  the  morning  of  the  19th,  after  thus  passing 
through  the  States  of  Indiana  and  Ohio,  and  turning  once 
more  to  the  South,  they  again  readied  the  river  at  a  ford  above 
Pomeroy.  Here  a  Federal  gunboat  and  a  large  body  of  troops 
suddenly  attacked  them,  inflicting  some  loss,  and  compelling 
Morgan  to  go  further  up  the  Ohio.  Fourteen  miles  beyond, 
they  then  attempt  the  passage  again — fording,  or  rather  swim 
ming  across.  Some  now  reached  the  opposite  shore,  when,  a 
second  time,  the  gunboats  were  upon  them.  Forward,  there 
fore,  they  must  go.  A  few  miles  further,  and  they  try  it 
again — into  the  stream  they  dash — the  gunboats  come  in 
sight — are  close  upon  them — many  of  the  command,  get 
across — Morgan's  noble  mare  swims  bravely — falters — strikes 
out  again — then  boldly  makes  the  shore.  The  command  is 
now  hastily  gathered  together — a  heavy  force,  at  Buffington, 
under  General  Judah,  is  attacked  and  scattered — fresh  Federal 
reinforcements  arrive — on  all  sides  the  hunted  raiders  are  sur 
rounded — 12,000  United  States  troops  are  in  Morgan's  rear — 
8,000  more  in  front  and  on  his  flank,  and  about  10,000*  militia 
hunting  on  his  track  in  all  directions.  His  men,  at  length 
compelled  to  give  Avay,  fly  wherever  there  is  a  chance  of  es 
cape.  One  portion  of  a  few  hundred  take  the  Gauley  road,  in 
"West  Virginia,  and  safely  arrive  at  Lewisburg,  near  White 
Sulphur  Springs  ;  another  party  strikes  for  Kentucky,  and 
many  others  are  captured,  amongst  them  Colonels  R.  Morgan, 
Basil  Duke,  and  Smith.  John  Morgan,  however,  succeeds  in 
escaping;,  hardly  pressed  on  all  sides,  and  chased  like  a  hunted 
bear.  Up  the  Ohio  he  bends  his  way  :  is  faced  there  :  turns 
back  again, — then  crosses  into  the  State  of  Ohio  once  more — 
next  proceeds  towards  Me  Arthur,  Athens,  Zanesville,  and 
northward,  to  the  neighborhood  of  Wheeling.  Thereabouts  he 
moves  in  various  directions,  until,  at  length,  on  Sunday,  July 
26th,  he  was  fairly  hemmed  in,  four  miles  south  of  Lisbon,  and 
captured  by  Major  Eae,  of  General  Shackleford's  command. 

This  officer,  with  an  excellent  guide,  had  followed  a  cross 
road,  and  managed  to  get  in  the  rear  of  his  chase.     Morgan 

*  The  account  says  80,000  !    Vide  "  Times'  "  report. 


456  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

saw  himself  hopelessly  entrapped,  and  sent  forward  a  flag  of 
truce,  informally  surrendering.  General  Shackleford  then  ar 
rived,  with  his  cavalry,  and  the  formal  surrender  was  com 
pleted  about  2  p.  M.,  in  the  shade  of  an  apple-tree,  on  a  farm. 

Morgan  affected  indifference,  and  talked  lightly  of  his 
misfortune.  His  well-known  blooded  mare  he  made  over  to 
Major  Rae,  and  his  pair  of  silver-mounted,  ivory-handled  re 
volvers  to  Colonel  Wolford.  An  eye-witness  of  his  capture 
describes  his  appearance  as  follows  : 

"  His  looks,  at  least,  are  not  those  of  an  ordinary  man.  He 
is  fully  six  feet  high,  broad-shouldered,  and  compactly  built ; 
has  soft  auburn  hair,  gray  eyes,  reddish  whiskers,  florid  com 
plexion  ;  a  pleasant  smile,  when  talking  ;  a  musical  voice,  and 
shows  to  advantage  a  splendid  set  of  teeth.  He  wore  a  gray 
roundabout  and  pantaloons,  with  a  wide-brimmed,  black  felt 
hat,  and  morocco  boots,  with  his  pantaloons  inside." 

Morgan  was  taken  to  the  Ohio  Penitentiary,  and  there  in 
carcerated — not  as  a  captured  military  officer  or  a  soldier — but 
as  a  common  felon.  He  and  his  comrades,  Colonel  Duke, 
and  others — had  their  persons  searched — hair  and  beards 
shaved,  were  bathed,  and  clad  in  prison  suits,  in  accordance 
with  the  ordinary  jail  discipline.  The  cruelties  which  followed 
were  unprecedented  in  prison  discipline,  and  disgraceful  to  the 
age  in  which  such  atrocious  inhumanity  was  tolerated.  The 
incarceration  occurred  on  the  30th  of  July,  1863,  and  now,  at 
last,  said  those  who  had  so  long  felt  his  daring  exploits,  he 
was  secure — hard  and  fast  within  stone  walls,  and  strongly 
guarded.  Four  months  afterwards,  almost  to  a  day,  the  bold 
chief,  with  two  or  three  companions,  electrified  the  country 
by  making  his  escape  !  This  bold  enterprise  was  accomplished 
by  digging  through  the  floor  of  their  cell,  to  a  sewer  leading  to 
the  river;  but  how  it  was  so  adroitly  done,  undiscovered,  is  to 
this  day  a  marvel. 

Of  course,  every  effort  to  catch  him  again  was  employed; 
but  John  Morgan  evaded  all  the  plans  laid  down  for  his  en 
trapment,  and  succeeded  in  crossing  the  Tennessee  river  into 
the  Confederate  States,  about  the  middle  of  December.  Very 
few,  if  any,  occurrences  in  this  remarkable  war  have  been 
more  marked  with  romantic  and  extraordinary  incidents,  than 
those  belonging  to  John  Morgan's  escape  and  flight  from  the 


MAJOR-GENERAL   JOHN   H.    MORGAN.  457 

Ohio  Penitentiary.  He  arrived  at  Danville  on  the  25th  of  De 
cember,  and  was  welcomed  in  the  most  enthusiastic  manner. 
A  short  time  afterwards,  with  his  wife,  he  visited  Richmond, 
where  his  reception  was  equally  flattering  to  him.  By  March 
he  had  a  strong  force  under  him  again.  On  the  8th  of  April, 
1864,  he  left  Richmond,  once  more  to  take  the  field. 

During  the  following  summer,  with  varied  experience  of 
success  and  reverse,  he  pursued  the  gay  tenor  of  his  way,  with 
unabated  zeal,  while  his  enemies  vainly  pursued  him,  their 
resolution  strengthening  with  every  new  disappointment. 

On  the  3d  of  September  he  advanced  upon  the  town 
of  Greenville,  East  Tennessee,  situated  on  the  great  line  of 
railroad  from  Virginia  to  Georgia,  via  Knoxville.  There  he 
halted  for  the  night,  in  the  house  of  a  Mrs.  C.  D.  Williams — 
his  staff  being  with  him.  Before  retiring  to  rest  the  pickets 
were  carefully  attended  to ;  but  as  the  enemy,  under  General 
Gillem,  were  at  Bull's  Gap,  sixteen  miles  distant,  every  thing 
was  deemed  secure.  His  betrayal,  however,  was  at  hand,  and 
a  woman — least  suspected — was  about  to  disclose  his  hiding- 
place  to  his  foe.  Young  Mrs.  Williams,  daughter-in-law  of 
the  landlady — when  the  favored  moment  appeared — mounted 
a  horse,  and,  unnoticed,  rode  to  the  Federal  commander,  who 
immediately  sent  a  force  to  surround  the  house  at  daybreak. 
Morgan  arid  his  staff,  hastily  aroused  from  their  slumbers, 
vainly  tried  to  effect  their  escape.  Bravely  the  chief  resisted, 
endeavoring  to  fight  his  way  through  them,  when  a  soldier — • 
private  Andrew  Campbell,  company  G,  Thirteenth  Tennessee 
Cavalry — dashed  forward,  as  he  passed  through  the  doorway 
into  the  street,  and  shot  him  dead. 

Thus,  on  Sunday  morning,  September  4th,  1864 — a  day  in 
the  week  always  singularly  eventful  to  him — the  career  of  this 
justly  celebrated  and  extraordinary  man  was  suddenly  and 
unexpectedly  brought  to  a  close. 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  WILLIAM  J.  IIARDEE. 


AMONGST  those  of  the  army  who  have  embraced  the  Southern 
cause,  it  would  he  difficult  to  find  one  more  generally  known 
in  milirary  circles,  and,  to  some  extent,  in  the  literary  world, 
than  the  suhject  of  this  sketch.  Born  about  the  year  1817, 
at  Savannah,  in  the  State  of  Georgia,  it  was  to  have  been  ex 
pected  that  he  would  unite  with  her  forrunes,  whatever  they 
might  be;  nevertheless,  so  distinguished  had  he  become  under 
the  flag  of  the  old  government,  that  it  would  seem,  at  the 
time,  almost  impossible  for  him  to  sever  his  connection  with  it. 
That  innate  love  for  the  place  of  one's  birth,  however,  which, 
more  or  less,  all  true  men  possess — even  though  circumstances, 
or  the  occupations  of  life,  may  take  them  from  it — no  doubt 
greatly  influenced  Colonel  Hardee  in  his  course.  He  was,  and 
still  is,  one  of  those  brave  spirits  and  gifted  minds,  whom  the 
world  has  long  known  and  learned  to  respect.  His  native  State 
had  just  reason  to  be  proud  of  him,  for  he  was  not  only  the 
second  officer  of  highest  rank,  from  Georgia,  in  the  old  army, 
but  was  the  author  of  one  of  the  best  works  on  military  tactics 
that  had  been  published: 

In  1834:,  Hardee  entered  West  Point  as  a  cadet,  and  gradu 
ated  with  honor  four  years  afterwards.  He  was  then  gazetted 
as  second-lieutenant,  in  the  Second  United  States  dragoons, 
and  was  sent  to  Florida,  where  lie  served  for  two  years.  On 
the  3d  of  December,  1839,  he  was  promoted  to  a  first-lieu 
tenancy,  and  was  sent  by  the  Secretary  of  War  to  the  cele 
brated  military  school  of  St.  Maur,  about  eighty  leagues  from 
Paris.  There,  he  was  regularly  attached  to  the  cavalry  de 
partment  of  the  French  army,  and,  after  completing  his  studies, 
—making  himself  a  thoroughly  good  officer,  with  a  perfect 
knowledge  of  that  branch  of  the  service — he  returned  to  the 
United  States,  bringing  a  flattering  letter  of  recommendation 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    WILLIAM   J.    HARDEE.  459 

from  Marshall   Oudinot  to  the  Secretary  of  War  at  Wash 
ington. 

Lieutenant  Hardee's  regiment  was  now  stationed  on  the 
Western  frontier,  and  quickly  rejoining  it,  he  soon  became 
actively  employed  in  defending  the  advanced  settlements  from 
Indian  depredations.  On  the  18th  of  September,  1844,  lie  was 
promoted  to  be  a  captain  of  dragoons,  and  then  accompanied 
General  Taylor  across  the  Rio  Grande  to  the  Mexican  cam 
paign.  There,  his  company  was  the  first  to  engage  the  enemy, 
at  a  place  called  Currieitos,  where,  after  vainly  endeavoring 
with  his  gallant  little  band  to  cut  his  way  through  the  Mexican 
ranks,  he  was  overwhelmed  by  superior  numbers,  and  taken 
prisoner.  lie  had  to  remain  a  captive  for  several  months,  and 
then  was  exchanged  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  siege  of  Mon- 
terev.  Fur  this  and  other  engagements  lie  was  promoted 
major  of  cavalry  on  the  25th  of  March,  having  then  joined  the 
forces  under  General  Scott,  at  Yera  Cruz,  and  displaying' 
great  ^allantrv  in  an  affair  at  Medelin,  near  that  place.  The 
subsequent  battles  in  Mexico  are  well  known.  Major  Hardee 
greatly  distinguished  himself  in  all  of  these,  to  the  gates  of 
Mexico;  and,  for  such  meritorious  conduct,  he  was  made  a 
brevet  lieutenant-colonel.  Afterwards  he  was  promoted,  in 
the  regular  army,  to  the  rank  of  major  in  the  famous  Second 
cavalry  regiment,  where  the  colonel  and  lieutenant-colonel 
were  A.  S.  Johnston,  and  R.  E.  Lee.  It  was  at  this  time, 
Colonel  Jefferson  Davis,  then  Secretary  of  War,  detailed  him 
to  prepare  a  system  of  tactics  better  adapted  for  the  use  of  the 
infantry  than  those  adopted,  and  this  was  compiled  and  pub 
lished,  as  '•  Hardee's  Tactics  ;  or,  the  United  States  Rifle  and 
Infantry  Tactics,"  2  vols.  On  the  completion  of  the  work,  in 
July,  1856,  he  was  ordered  to  West  Point  as  commandant  of 
cadets,  with  the  local  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  and  was  em 
ployed  there — with  the  exception  of  one  year's  leave  of  ab 
sence  in  Europe — until  he  was  promoted  full  lieutenant-colonel 
of  cavalry,  which  position,  however,  he  resigned  on  the  31st  of 
January,  1861. 

In  the  month  of  October,  1860,  events  forshadowed  that 
mighty  convulsion  which  has  since  taken  place  in  the  nation. 
Virginia  was  even  then  preparing  to  "  resist  all  attempts  at 
coercion,"  and  "  an  encampment  of  nearly  two  regiments  of 


i60  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

cavalry  were  to  be  formed  at  the  Fair  ground,  near  Rich 
mond,  on  the  7th  of  November."  At  that  time  Colonel  Har- 
dee  was  staying  in  New  York  awhile,  but  it  seems  from  a  let 
ter,  written  at  Richmond,  dated  October  31st,  1860,  that  he 
was  then,  by  permission  of  his  commander-in-chief.  to  go  down 
to  Richmond,  and  "instruct  these  regiments  in  military  tac 
tics."  At  all  events,  we  find  him  at  Montgomery  about  the 
end  of  February,  1861;  he  then  offered  his  sword  and  services 
to  the  Confederate  government.  They  were  gladly  accepted, 
and  he  was  at  once  confirmed  as  colonel  of  the  First  regiment 
of  infantry.  lie  was  then  assigned  to  duty  at  Fort  Morgan, 
Mobile,  and  directed  to  take  Grant's  Pass,  and  all  their  ap 
proaches  to  Mobile,  under  his  charge.  In  the  month  of  June, 
Hardee  was  appointed  a  brigadier-general,  and  sent  to  Arkan 
sas,  with  his  command,  embracing  that  portion  of  the  State 
south  and  west  of  the  White  river — General  Polk  being  the 
•department  commander  of  the  Mississippi  and  adjoining  re 
gion. 

General  Hardee's  services  in  the  West  were  of  great  import 
ance  to  the  cause  he  had  joined.  Before  his  arrival,  Arkansas 
had  appointed  a  military  board  to  arrange  about  transferring 
the  entire  force  of  the  State  to  the  Confederate  government, 
provided,  however,  that  their  arms  were  to  be  used  simply  in 
self-defence.  A  deputation  went  to  Richmond,  but  no  promise 
could  be  given  as  to  their  future  disposition.  But,  on  the  4th 
of  July,  1861,  an  agreement  was  made  with  General  Hardee, 
and,  with  a  single  exception,  the  several  regiments  were  trans 
ferred  to  his  command,  the  whole  force  numbering  about  6,000 
men. 

At  this  time,  McCullouch  was  in  charge  of  the  Indian  terri 
tory,  on  the  Arkansas  frontier,  and  General  Price  was  operat 
ing  with  Governor  Jackson,  in  Missouri.  General  Hardee, 
however,  soon  prosecuted  the  war  with  vigor,  in  the  depart 
ment  of  which  he  had  control.  In  the  early  part  of  August 
he  went  to  Greenville,  Mobile,  taking  with  him  artillery  and 
small-arms,  in  consequence  of  having  received  promises  of  re 
inforcements.  But  he  was  much  disappointed.  The  men  were 
afraid  of  being  called  away  from  their  own  State,  and,  there 
fore,  would  not  join.  His  hopes  thus  proving  abortive,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  Pilot  Knob,  and  the  Iron  Mountain 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    WILLIAM   J.   HARDEE.  461 

railway;  but,  ultimately,  he  abandoned  his  designs  in  that 
part,  and  returned  to  his  headquarters  at  Poeohontas. 

Shortly  afterwards  he  was  transferred  to  Kentucky,  and  in 
September  his  movements  led  General  Shoepft',  the  Federal 
commander,  who  was  advancing  against  General  Zolli coffer,  to 
suppose  he  intended  flanking  him  from  Bowling  Green,  and 
this  helped  to  produce  the  Federal  retreat  from  Wild-cat.  At 
the  end  of  October,  General  Hardee  was  dispatched  with  a 
force  of  about  3,000  men  to  Green  river,  Ky.,  to  attack  the 
Federals  at  Camp  Andy  Johnson,  under  General  Ward,  but  a 
sudden  rise  in  the  river  enabled  the  latter  to  retreat,  and 
Johnston  recalled  Hardee  to  the  more  important  position  at 
Bowling  Green.  He  was  appointed  a  major-general,  and,  on 
the  17th  of  December,  1861,  the  battle  of  Mum  fords  ville,  Ky., 
was  fought  by  a  portion  of  the  troops  under  his  command — 
Brigadier-general  Hind  man  leading  the  advance.  Hardee's 
report  of  this  is  as  follows  : 

HEADQUARTERS,  CENTRAL  ARMY  OF  KENTUCKY,  ) 
BOWLING  GREEN,  December  21,  1801.     j 
SPECIAL  ORDER  No.  64. 

On  the  17th  instant,  our  forces,  under  Brigadier-general 
Hindman,  partially  engaged  a  superior  force  of  the  enemy 
near  Woodsonville.  In  the  action  we  sustained  a  loss  of  four 
killed  and  nine  wounded.  The  enemy  was  driven  back,  and 
left  about  fifty  killed,  and  seven  prisoners.  The  conduct  of 
our  troops  was  marked  by  impetuous  valor.  On  charging  the 
enemy,  Colonel  Terry,  of  the  Texas  Rangers,  was  killed  in  the 
moment  of  victory.  His  regiment  deplores  the  loss  of  a 
brave  and  beloved  commander — the  army  one  of  its  ablest 
officers. 

The  general  commanding  returns  his  thanks  to  Brigadier- 
general  Hiudman  and  his  command  for  their  conduct  in  the 

o 

initiative  of  the  campaign  in  Kentucky,  and  he  hails  the  bril 
liant  courage  shown  in  the  aifair  as  a  bright  augury  of  their 
valor  when  the  actual  hour  comes  for  striking  a  decisive  blow. 

By  order  of  Major-general  HARDEE. 

D.   H.  WHITE,   Act.  Assis't  Adjutant-general. 

At  Bowling  Green  he  was  located  all  the  winter,  as  second 
in  command  of  the  army  at  that  post,  and,  it  is  reported  that, 


462  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

so  rigorous  was  he  in  guarding  the  rights  and  property  of 
noncombatants,  that  he  arrested  a  general  for  burning  the 
houses  at  Cave  City  and  other  places  on  the  Louisville  and 
Nashville  railroad. 

Prior  to,  or  at  the  commencement  of  April,  1862,  Hardee 
was  appointed  a  major-general ;  and,  in  the  arrangement  for 
the  battle  of  Shiloh,  his  corps — the  third — was  directed  to 
move  in  advance,  and  he  was  to  make  all  "  proper  disposition 
of  the  artillery  along  the  line  of  battle."  His  zeal,  ability, 
and  skill  in  this  battle,  were  afterwards  very  highly  spoken  of 
by  Beauregard  in  his  official  report. 

From  this  time  General  Hardee's  corps  was  attached  to 
Bragg's  army,  and  accompanied  it  in  all  its  movements,  to  the 
battle  of  Perryville.  There  he  commanded  the  left  wing  of 
the  army,  and  very  successfully  conducted  the  operations 
committed  to  his  direction.  His  conduct  on  this  occasion  and 
throughout  the  campaign,  procured  for  him  the  appointment 
of  lieutenant-general,  ranking  in  the  Confederate  army  after 
Longstreet. 

At  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro,  during  the  last  days  of 
December,  1862,  Lieutenant-general  Hardee  took  a  conspicuous 
part.  His  corps,  consisting  of  Breckinridge's  and  Cleburne's 
divisions,  were  formed  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Stone  river, 
until  ordered  to  advance.  Then,  it  is  related,  the  sight  was 
a  most  magnificent  one.  Two  columns  deep,  with  a  front  of 
nearly  three-fourths  of  a  mile,  the  line  well  preserved  and 
moving  forward  with  great  rapidity,  on  went  the  men,  their 
bayonets  glistening  in  a  bright  sun  which  had  broken  through 
the  fog. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1863,  General  Hardee  was  visited  by 
the  British  officer  we  have  before  quoted  from,  and  he  says  : 
"  I  found  that  he  was  in  company  with  General  Polk,  and 
Bishop  Elliot,  of  Georgia,  and  also  with  Mr.  Yallandigham. 
The  latter  (called  the  Apostle  of  Liberty)  is  a  good-looking 
man,  apparently  not  much  over  forty,  and  had  been  turned 
out  of  the  North  three  days  before.  Rosecrans  had  wished  to 
Land  him  over  to  Bragg  by  flag  of  truce ;  but,  as  the  latter 
declined  to  receive  him  in  that  manner,  he  was,  as  General 
Hardee  expressed  it,  '  dumped  down'  in  the  neutral  ground 
between  the  lines,  and  left  there.  He  then  received  hospitality 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   WILLIAM   J.    HATIDEE.  463 

from  the  Confederates  in  the  capacity  of  a  destitute  stranger. 
.  .  .  When  I  presented  my  letters  of  introduction,  General- 
Ilardee  received  me  with  the  unvarying  kindness  and  hospi 
tality  which  I  had  experienced  from  all  other  Confederate 
officers.  lie  is  a  fine,  soldierlike  man,  broad-shouldered  and 
tall.  He  looks  rather  like  a  French  officer,  and  bears  the 
reputation  of  being  a  thoroughly  good  soldier.  He  is  a 
widower,  and  has  the  character  of  being  a  great  admirer  of 
the  fair  sex.  During  the  Kentucky  campaign  last  year,  he 
was  in  the  habit  of  availing  himself  of  the  privilege  of  his 
rank  and  years,"  by  mixing  freely  and  socially  with  the 
families  of  the  farmers;  and  several  good  jokes  arose  from  it. 
One  may  be  mentioned.  "An  old  lady  told  him  he  ought 
really  'to  leave  off  fighting  at  his  age.'  'Indeed,  madam,' 
replied  he;  'and  how  old  do  you  take  me  for  ?'  'Why,  about 
the  same  age  as  myself — seventy-five,'  she  answered,  The 
chagrin  of  the  stalwart  and  gallant  general,  at  having  twenty 
years  added  to  his  age,  may  be  imagined." 

In  July,  1863,  General  Ilardee*  was  assigned  to  duty  in 
command  of  the  department  formerly  held  by  General  Pein- 
berton  ;  but  when  Kosecrans  marched  on  Chattanooga  he  was 
recalled  to  J'ragg's  army,  and  the  second  corps  placed  under 


*  The  following  anecdote  is  related  of  him  during  this  period  : 

While  on  a  forced  march  in  some  of  the  army  movements  in  Mississippi  last 
summer,  G  eneral  Hardee  came  up  with  a  straggler  who  had  fallen  some  dis 
tance  in  the  rear  of  his  command.  The  general  ordered  him  forward,  when 
the  soldier  replied  that  he  was  weak  and  broken  down,  not  having  had  even 
half  rations  for  several  days. 

"  That's  hard,"  replied  the  general,  "but  you  must  push  forward,  my  good 
fellow,  and  join  your  command,  or  the  provost  guard  will  take  you  in  hand." 

The  soldier  halted,  and  looking  up  at  the  general  asked— 

"  An't  you  General  Hurdee?" 

4C  Yes,"  replied  the  general. 

"  Didn't  you  write  Hardee's  Tactics  ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  general,  I've  studied  them  tactics,  and  know  'em  by  heart.  You've 
got  a  order  thar  to  double  column  at  half  distance,  an't  you?" 

"  Well,"  asked  the  general,  "  what  has  that  order  to  do  with  your  case  V 

"  I'm.  a  good  soldier,  general,  and  obey  all  that  is  possible  to  be  obeyed,  but 
if  your  orders  can  show  me  a  order  in  your  tactics,  or  anybody  else's  tactics, 
to  double  distance  on  half  rations,  then  I'll  give  in." 

The  general,  with  a  hearty  laugh,  admitted  that  there  were  no  tactics  to 
meet  the  case,  and  putting  spurs  to  his  horse,  rode  forward. 


464  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

him.  The  battles  of  Chiekamanga,  Lookout  mountain,  and 
Missionary  ridge,  followed,  as  previously  related,  and,  finally, 
General  Hardee  was  appointed  to  temporarily  succeed  Bragg 
in  the  general  command. 

On  assuming  command,  Lieutenant-general  Hardee  issued 
the  following  general  order  to  the  soldiers  of  the  army  of 
Tennessee : 

D  ALTON,  GA.,  December  2,  1863. 

General  Bragg  having  been  relieved  from  duty  with  this 
army,  the  command  has  devolved  upon  me.  The  steady  pur 
pose,  the  unflinching  courage  and  unsullied  patriotism  of  the 
distinguished  leader  who  has  shared  your  fortunes  more  than 
two  years,  will  long  be  remembered  by  the  army  and  the 
country  he  served  so  well. 

I  desire  to  say,  on  assuming  command,  that  there  is  no  cause 
for  discouragement.  The  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  enemy 
forced  us  back  from  Missionary  ridge,  but  the  army  is  still 
intact  and  in  good  heart ;  our  losses  were  small  and  were 
rapidly  replaced.  The  country  is  looking  to  you  with  painful 
interest.  I  feel  I  can  rely  upon  you.  The  wreak  need  to  be 
cheered  by  the  constant  successes  of  the  victors  of  Shiloh, 
Perry vi lie,  Murfreesboro,  and  Chickamauga,  and  require 
such  stimulant  to  sustain  their  courage  and  resolution.  Let 
the  past  take  care  of  itself.  We  care  most  to  secure  the 

future. 

W.  J.  HARDEE,  Lieutenant-general. 

With  reference  to  this  appointment,  it  was  said  that  "the 
command  had  devolved  upon  Lieutenant-general  Hardee,  an 
excellent  corps  commander,  who  has  borne  himself  well  in 
many  of  the  hardest-fought  battles  of  the  war,  and  who,  at 
Missionary  ridge,  most  gallantly  maintained  his  position  until 
the  rest  of  Bragg's  army  gave  way.  Hardee  was  one  of  the 
very  few — probably  the  only  prominent  officer — who  avowed 
his  readiness  to  serve  under  Bragg  when  the  President  visited 
the  army  to  ascertain  its  wants.  Modesty  is  so  rare  now-a- 
days  that  all  were  surprised  to  hear  that  Hardee  declined  the 
command  on  the  ground  that  he  was  not  qualified  for  it ;  and, 
it  was  only  as  a  temporary  arrangement  that  he  agreed  to 
accept  this  important  trust." 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   WILLIAM   J.    HARDEE.  465 

Shortly  afterwards,  a  very  important  address  from  the 
generals  in  command  of  the  army  of  Tennessee,  was  sent  to 
the  Confederate  Congress.  This  address  referred  to  measures 
best  calculated,  in  the  judgment  of  the  signers  (General  liar- 
dec's  name  being  at  the  head  of  the  list),  to  maintain  the  effi 
ciency  and  vigor  of  the  army,  and  was  read  in  the  House  on 
December  29th,  1862. 

In  the  month  of  January,  1863,  General  tlardee  obtained 
leave  of  absence  for  a  short  time,,  and,  on  the  13th,  was  mar 
ried  to  Miss  Mary  T.  Lewis,  of  Greensboro,  Alabama. 

In  May,  General  Johnston  having  assumed  full  command  of 
the  army,  Hardee's  movements  were  again  merged  in  those  of 
the  coinmander-in-chief,  and  the  Confederate  forces.  The 
battles  that  followed  have  been  narrated  in  previous  sketches. 
Hood  succeeded  Johnston.  Atlanta  was  evacuated ;  and 
Ilardee,  when  President  Davis  visited  the  camp,  in  September, 
was  relieved  at  his  own  request,  and  appointed  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  department  of  South  Carolina,  with  his  head 
quarters  at  Charleston.  The  subsequent  events  are  well 
known.  Sherman  marched  upon  Savannah,  and  Ilardee  went 
there  beforehand  to  make  arrangements  for  its  defence.  It 
was,  however,  found  vain  to  attempt  resistance,  and,  on  the 
21st  of  December,  1864,  this  important  city  was  evacuated  by 
the  Confederates,  and  the  victorious  Federal  forces  entered  in 
triumph.  Since  then,  General  Ilardee,  in  conjunction  with 
General  D.  IT.  Hill,  and  the  general  supervision  of  Beauregard, 
lias  been  at  Charleston,  preparing  against  the  renewed  ad 
vance  of  General  Sherman  in  that  direction. 

The  career  of  General  Ilardee  has  been  full  of  interest  and 
important  action,  and  we  regret  that  the  limits  of  a  single 
volume,  restrict  us  to  so  brief  an  account  of  one  whose  distin 
guished  services  merit  more  than  a  passing  notice.  President 
Davis  said  of  him :  u  Whoever  may  have  failed,  that  noble 
Georgian — General  Ilardee — has  clone  all  that  could  be  ex 
pected  of  a  soldier,  or  asked  of  a  patriot."  Such  unqualified 
commendation,  from  his  chosen  leader  and  commander-in- 
chief,  needs  nothing  additional  from  the  pen  of  any  man. 

80 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  WADE  HAMPTON. 


THE  gallant  officer  whose  career  we  now  notice,  was  born  in 
the  city  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  in  the  year  1818. 
His  father  was  Colonel  Wade  Hampton,  who  greatly  distin 
guished  himself  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  an  aid-de-camp  to 
General  Jackson,  at  the  battle  of  New  Orleans.  He  was  an 
eminent  and  esteemed  citizen  of  South  Carolina,  distinguished 
as  an  enlightened  and  liberal  agriculturist,  and  greatly  respected 
for  his  elevated  and  pure  character  as  a  man.  Colonel  Hamp 
ton's  father  was  also  an  eminent  military  officer — General  Wade 
Hampton — of  the  revolution,  and  a  prominent  citizen  of  South 
Carolina.  Thus, the  present  General  Hampton  is  descended  from 
men  who  have  well  and  bravely  fought  in  their  country's  cause. 
His  early  education  was  received  at  South  Carolina  College, 
where  he  graduated  with  much  distinction ;  and  then,  while 
quite  a  young  man,  married  the  youngest  daughter  of  General 
Francis  Preston,  of  Virginia,  by  whom  he  had  three  children, 
two  of  them  becoming  officers  in  the  Confederate  army. 
After  the  death  of  this  lady,  he  married  the  daughter  of 
Governor  McDuffie,  of  South  Carolina. 

The  pursuits  of  Hampton,  previous  to  the  present  war,  were 
almost  exclusively  those  of  a  planter,  though  he  served  in  both 
branches  of  the  South  Carolina  Legislature  with  distinction. 
His  argument  against  the  opening  of  the  African  slave  trade, 
was  spoken  of  as  a  master-piece  of  elegant  and  statesmanlike 
logic,  dictated  by  the  noblest  sentiments  of  the  Christian  and 
the  patriot. 

At  the  commencement  of  1861,  he  was  considered  one  of  the 
richest  planters  of  the  South,  and  owned  the  greatest  number 
of  slaves.  When  hostilities  commenced,  he  immediately  raised 
a  splendid  legion  of  six  companies  of  infantry — himself  their 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL   WADE   HAMPTON.  467 

leader,  and  though  the  cost  must  have  been  very  great,  he 
contributed  largely  towards  the  equipment. 

At  the  latter  end  of  May  he  had  all  nearly  ready,  but  some 
delay  occurred  before  they  could  be  marched  to  the  seat  of 
war  in  Virginia,  yet  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  arrive  in  time 
for  the  battle  of  Manassas,  July  21,  1861.  Here  he  was  im 
mediately  ordered  forward  to  a  position  near  the  Lewis  House, 
as  a  support  for  any  troops  engaged  in  that  quarter.  When 
the  Confederates,  during  a  part  of  the  day,  were  falling  back 
near  the  Robinson  House,  Hampton,  with  his  legion,  greatly 
aided  Generals  Bee,  Bartow,  and  Evans,  in  recovering  the  lost 
ground.  Beauregard  says,  "about  noon  the  commands  of 
Bee,  Bartow,  and  Evans,  had  taken  shelter  in  a  wooded  ravine 
behind  the  Eobinson  House,  and  this  was  stoutly  held  at  the 
time  by  Hampton,  with  his  legion,  which  had  made  a  stand 
there,  after  having,  previously,  been  as  far  forward  as  the 
turnpike,  where  Lieutenant-colonel  Johnston,  an  officer  of 
brilliant  promise,  was  killed,  and  other  severe  losses  were  sus 
tained I  then  placed  Llampton's  legion,  which  had 

suffered  greatly,  as  a  reserve  to  protect  the  right  flank  against 
any  advance  of  the  enemy  from  Stone  bridge,"  and,  when  a 
cliarge  was  made,  in  conjunction  with  the  18th  regiment 
(Withers',  of  Coke's  brigade),  he  captured  several  rifle  pieces, 
which  were  immediately  turned  upon  the  foe.  Finally,  he 
greatly  aided  in  "  restoring  the  fortunes  of  the  day  at  a  time 
when  the  enemy,  by  a  last  desperate  onset,  with  heavy  odds, 
had  driven  the  Confederates  from  the  fiercely  contested  ground 
about  the  Henry  House."  His  "  soldierly  ability"  was  espe 
cially  noted  by  the  commander-in-chief,  who  said  that 
"  veterans  could  not  have  behaved  better  than  his  well-led 
regiment." 

In  the  last  charge,  however,  Colonel  Hampton  was  not  per 
sonally  present,  having  previously  been  wounded  in  the  head; 
but  so  highly  did  Beauregard  appreciate  the  legion,  that  he 
gave  himself,  for  the  time,  to  the  vacant  post  of  their  retired 
commander. 

We  must  not,  however,  omit  mentioning  that,  during  a  part 
of  the  fight,  when  Colonel  Hampton's  horse  was  shot  under 
him,  he  seized  a  rifle,  and  said  to  his  men,  "Watch  me,  boys; 
do  as  I  do."  He  then  shot  down,  successively,  several  of  the 


468  SOUTHERN  GENERALS. 

Federal  officers  who  were  leading  their  forces  against  him. 
General  Beauregard  then  came  up,  and  said,  "Take  that  bat 
tery."  Just  at  that  moment  the  flag  of  the  legion  was  shot 
down.  Beauregard  said,  "  Hand  it  to  me ;  let  me  bear  the 
Palmetto  flag."  He  did  bear  it  in  the  fury  of  the  fight. 
Colonel  Johnston,  of  the  legion,  was  slain  in  the  charge. 

The  Hampton  legion  promised  to  defend  the  flag  presented 
to  them  by  the  ladies  of  the  Palmetto  State,  while  one  of  them 
remained  to  step  the  field  of  conflict.  That  this  promise  was 
sacredly  redeemed,  no  one  can  doubt,  when  he  comes  to  learn 
that  of  the  eight  hundred  who  went  into  the  field  on  that  Sun 
day,  one  hundred  and  ten  sealed  their  fidelity  with  their  blood, 
such  being  the  number  of  their  killed  and  wounded,  according 
to  the  reports. 

Jn  the  subsequent  battles  on  the  Peninsula,  from  the  begin 
ning  of  operations  at  Yorktown,  the  Hampton  legion  was  ever 
conspicuous,  and  at  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines  was  especially 
noticed.  It  is  said  that  the  loss  amongst  them,  in  killed  and 
wounded,  was  a  fraction  over  one-half  their  number.  "The 
charge  of  this  body  of  men  was  gallant  and  daring  beyond  all 
description  ;  and  Colonel  Wade  Hampton  was  wounded  in  the 
foot."  During  the  battle  of  Gaines's  Mill,  June  29th,  the 
Hampton  legion  again  displayed  great  valor,  and,  indeed, 
throughout  the  whole  seven  days'  contest. 

Hampton  was  now  promoted  to  the  position  of  Brigadier- 
general  of  cavalry,  under  Major-general  Stuart,  and  zealously 
seconded  that  gallant  officer  in  all  his  daring  exploits.  We 
may,  however,  give  one  or  two  illustrations  of  General  Hamp 
ton's  own  personal  doings  in  these  expeditions.  In  the  retreat 
from  Antietam,  when  the  enemy's  cavalry,  under  Pleasanton, 
attacked  Lee's  pickets  in  front  of  Sheperdstown,  Hampton's 
brigade  had  retired  ^through  Martinsburg,  but,  on  being  re 
called,  speedily  returned,  and  aided  Colonel  W.  F.  II.  Lee  in 
repulsing  the  foe. 

A  few  days  afterwards,  he  accompanied  Stuart  on  his  suc 
cessful  expedition  into  Maryland,  as  already  mentioned  in 
previous  sketches.  When  they  arrived  near  Chambersburg, 
the  following  incidents  occurred,  as  related  by  the  Federal 
colonel,  A.  K.  McClure.  He  says : 

u  After  travelling  a  mile  westward,  we  were  brought  to  a 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL    WADE    HAMPTON.  469 

halt  by  a  squad  of  mounted  men,  and  informed  that  General 
Hampton  was  one  of  the  party,  to  whom  we  should  address 
ourselves.  It  was  so  dark  that  I  could  not  distinguish  him 
from  any  of  his  men.  Upon  being  informed  that  we  were  a 
committee  of  citizens,  and  that  there  was  no  organized  force 
in  town,  and  no  military  commander  at  the  post,  he  stated,  in 
a  respectful  and  soldierlike  manner,  that  he  commanded  the 
advance  of  the  Confederate  troops  ;  that  he  knew  resistance 
would  be  vain,  and  he  wished  the  citizens  to  be  fully  advised 
of  his  purpose,  so  as  to  avoid  needless  loss  of  life  and  wanton 
destruction  of  property.  He  said  he  had  been  fired  upon  at 
Mercersburg  and  Campbellstown,  and  had  great  difficulty  in 
restraining  his  troops.  He  assured  us  that  he  would  scrupu 
lously  protect  citizens  ;  would  allow  no  soldiers  to  enter  public 
or  private  houses,  unless  under  command  of  an  officer  upon 
legitimate  business  ;  that  he  would  take  such  private  property 
as  he  needed  for  his  government  or  troops,  but  that  he  would 
do  so  by  men  under  officers  who  would  allow  no  wanton  de 
struction,  and  who  would  give  receipts  for  the  same  if  desired, 
so  that  claim  might  be  made  therefor  against  the  United  States 
government.  All  property  belonging  to  or  used  by  the  United 
States,  he  stated,  he  would  use  or  destroy  at  his  pleasure,  and 
the  wounded  in  hospitals  would  be  paroled.  Being  an  United 
States  officer  myself,  I  naturally  felt  some  anxiety  to  know 
what  my  fate  would  be  if  he  should  discover  me,  and  I  modestly 
suggested  that  there  might  be  some  United  States  officers  in 
the  town  in  charge  of  wounded,  stores,  or  of  recruiting  offices, 
and  asked  what  disposition  would  be  made  of  them.  He  an 
swered  that  he  would  parole  them,  unless  he  should  have 
special  reasons  for  not  doing  so,  and  he  instructed  us  that  none 
such  should  be  notified  by  us  to  leave  town.  Here  I  was  in 
an  interesting  situation.  If  I  remained  there  it  might,  in 
General  Hampton's  opinion,  be  special  reasons  for  not 
paroling  me,  and  the  fact  that  he  had  several  citizens  of 
Mercersburg  with  him  as  prisoners  did  not  diminish  my  appre 
hensions.  If  I  should  leave,  as  I  had  ample  opportunity  after 
wards  to  do,  I  might  be  held  as  violating  my  own  agreement, 
and  to  what  extent  my  family  and  property  might  suffer  in 
consequence,  conjecture  had  a  very  wide  range.  With  sixty 
acres  of  corn  in  shock,  and  three  barns  full  of  grain,  excellent 


470  SOUTHERN    GKNKRALS. 

farm  and  saddle  horses,  and  a  number  of  best  blooded  cattle, 
the  question  of  property  was  worthy  of  a  thought,  I  resolved 
to  stay,  as  I  felt  so  bound  by  the  terms  of  surrender,  and  take 
my  chance  of  discovery  and  parole." 

'During  the  time  Chambersburg  was  occupied,  General 
Hampton  was  appointed  military  governor  ;  and,  in  reference 
to  his  whole  proceedings,  Stuart,  in  his  report,  observes: 
"Brigadier-general  Hampton  ...  is  entitled  to  my  lasting 
gratitude  for  his  coolness  in  danger,  and  obedience  to  or 
ders." 

General  Hampton,  in  the  beginning  of  December,  1862, 
entered  Dumfries  one  morning  about  three  o'clock,  and  cap 
tured  several  Federal  soldiers,  besides  doing  much  damage  to 
government  stores.  A  few  days  afterwards  he  made  a  rich 
haul  on  a  government  train  in  the  neighborhood  of  Occoquan. 
There  were  twenty-seven  cars  laden  with  the  choicest  articles 
for  the  gay  Christmas  season.  Many  of  the  articles  cap 
tured  were  labelled  "  Christmas  presents  for  General  Burn- 
side,"  and  consisted  of  tine  brandies,  segars  and  wines.  Be 
sides  these  there  was  a  good  supply  of  sutlers'  stores,  embra 
cing  boots  and  shoes,  gauntlets,  and  nearly  every  other  article 
necessary  for  the  comfort  of  man  during  the  cold  season.  In 
addition,  170  soldiers  who  were  guarding  the  train  were  made 
prisoners. 

A  little  later,  in  the  beginning  of  January,  1863,  he  crossed 
the  Rappahannock,  with  one  hundred  and  twenty  cavalry,  and 
fell  in  with  ninety-two  men,  including  five  officers,  of  the 
Pennsylvania  cavalry,  capturing  them  without  a  shot  being 
fired,  and  obtaining  a  great  prize  of  valuable  carbines,  one 
hundred  horses  and  their  equipments,  not  to  mention  the  warm 
overcoats  of  the  men,  which  are  no  slight  item  in  the  month 
of  January. 

At  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  General  Hampton  was  wounded 
thrice — once  in  the  hip,  from  a  shrapnel,  and  two  severe  sabre- 
cuts  in  the  head.  This  compelled  him  to  retire  awhile  from  his 
command  ;  but  his  active  spirit  wrould  not  brook  a  longer 
absence  than  was  imperative.  Therefore  we  find  him  again 
zealously  engaged  with  Stuart,  the  two  Lees,  and  his  gallant 
men,  in  many  other  raids  and  adventures.  These,  however, 
have  already  been  alluded  to,  and  we  must  pass  on  to  the  time 


LIEUTENANT  GENERAL    WADE    HAMPTON.  471 

when,  having  been  made  a  major-general,  he  had  command  of 
the  cavalry,  after  the  death  of  Stuart. 

During  the  latter  part  of  May  and  beginning  of  June,  1864, 
he  was  constantly  engaged  pressing  the  enemy's  cavalry,  and 
obtained  several  advantages  over  them.  On  the  12th,  Hamp 
ton  and  Fitz  Hugh  Lee  encountered  Sheridan,  Ouster,  Torbert, 
and  Gregg  at  Trevilan  station  ;  and  on  the  20th  successfully 
attacked  the  Federals  stationed  at  the  White-house.  Five  days 
afterwards,  the  enemy's  cavalry  advanced  to  a  place  called 
ISTance's  shop,  and  intrenched  themselves.  Hampton  quickly 
followed,  and  drove  them  away,  pursuing  them  till  9  p.  M., 
to  within  two  miles  of  Charles  City  Court-house.  "  Oreat 
credit,"  says  Lee,  in  his  report,  "  is  due  to  General  Hampton 
and  his  command,  for  their  handsome  success." 

On  the  26th  of  August  he  attacked  a  body  of  the  enemy's 
cavalry,  about  four  miles  beyond  Reams'  station,  and  routed 
them.  It  was  about  this  time  he  was  made  commander-in- 
chief  of  all  the  cavalry  in  the  army  of  Xorth  Virginia,  and 
was  thenceforth  considered  as  General  Lee's  Master  of  Horse — 
a  position  of  no  slight  dignit}7  in  such  times.  lUit  the  most 
exciting  affair,  and  especially  one  peculiarly  serviceable,  was 
his  foray  upon  the  commissariat  of  General  Grant. 

In  the  middle  of  September,  there  arrived  in  the  Federal 
camp  2,486  head  of  cattle,  in  splendid  order.  These  were  put 
to  graze  in  the  neighborhood  of  Sycamore  Church,  not  far 
from  the  James  river,  east  of  City  Point,  and  had  been  col 
lected  by  the  Federal  commissariat  with  great  care.  Hearing 
of  this,  Hampton,  with  W.  F.  II.  Lee's  division,  Rosser's  and 
Dearing's  brigades,  and  Graham's  and  McGregor's  batteries, 
started  early  one  morning  to  capture  them.  Taking  a  wide 
circuit  round  the  Federal  army,  the  Confederates  suddenly 
came  upon  the  surprised  forces,  stationed  on  their  right, 
on  Thursday  night.  A  fight  ensued  :  the  enemy's  position 
was  carried  ;  and  the  cattle  not  only  captured,  but  safely 
driven  back  to  the  Confederate  lines,  after  another  sharp  en 
gagement  with  some  cavalry  under  General  Gregg.  What  the 
great  prize  really  was,  may  be  judged  from  the  following  re 
marks  in  a  Richmond  paper:  "The  Federal  commissaries  buy 
beeves  of  the  largest  size  for  the  use  of  their  armies  in  Vir 
ginia.  The  expense  and  trouble  of  transportation,  which  are 


472  SOUTHERN    GENERALS. 

in  proportion  to  numbers,  make  this  very  expedient.  The 
beeves  taken  in  Hampton's  late  expedition  are  judged,  by  a 
London  grazier,  to  weigh  800  pounds  net.  Twenty-four 
hundred  and  eighty-six  beeves  at  800  pounds,  would  make  an 
aggregate  of  1,988,800  pounds,  or  within  a  fraction  of  two  rail- 
lions  of  pounds.  This,  distributed  in  daily  rations  of  a  pound 
each,  would  feed  1,000  men  for  nearly  2,000  days,  10,000  men 
for  200  days,  or  50,000  for  40  days,  and  so  forth.  It  is  a  very 
nice  addition  to  our  commissariat,  for  which  we  are  very  much 
obliged  to  Mr.  Grant,  and  particularly  to  General  Hampton 
and  his  braves." 

A  short  time  after  this,  he  again  "  routed  the  enemy,  cap 
turing  two  stands  of  colors,  and  abont  five  hundred  prisoners, 
including  five  colonels,  and  thirteen  other  officers." 

On  the  27th  of  October  he  attacked  the  enemy  in  the  rear, 
while  General  Mahone  struck  them  in  the  flank,  on  the  Boyd- 
ton  plank-road.  It  is  said,  that  on  this  occasion  "General 
Hampton  and  his  cavalry  rendered  a  service  which  the  conn- 
try  cannot  too  highly  appreciate."  In  the  engagement,  how 
ever,  one  of  his  sons  was  killed,  and  another  wounded.  Since 
then  he  has  been  incessantly  occupied  with  the  cavalry,  in 
harassing  the  enemy,  and  participating  in  the  various  move 
ments  of  the  army  around  Richmond.  Lately,  we  find  that 
he  has  been  promoted  to  be  a  lieutenant-general. 

The  family  residence  of  General  Hampton  is  in  Columbia, 
South  Carolina,  and  is  known  by  all  Southerners  as  the  abode 
of  hospitality,  and,  also,  one  of  the  handsomest  places  in  the 
entire  South.  Of  his  personal  characteristics,  the  following 
may  be  interesting. 

A  writer  in  the  Richmond  Press  observes  :  "  He  is  said  to 
be  in  the  prime  of  life,  of  a  strong  natural  understanding  con 
siderably  cultivated,  of  immense  physical  strength  and  activity, 
of  wonderful  endurance,  and  of  inexhaustible  energy.  He 
has  been  all  his  life  passionately  addicted  to  field-sports  and 
wood-craft,  in  both  of  which  he  is  said  to  excel  most  men  of 
his  day.  One  faculty,  of  the  last  importance  to  an  officer 
holding  such  a  command  as  his,  he  is  said  to  possess  in  a  very 
remarkable  degree — that,  namely,  of  becoming  acquainted  in 
stantly,  and  almost  instinctively,  with  all  the  features  of  what 
ever  locality  he  may  happen  to  pass  over.  To  such  an  extent 


LIEUTENANT- GENERAL   WADE   HAMPTON.  473 

is  this  faculty  developed,  that  we  have  heard  it  said,  if  he  were 
blindfolded,  and  carried  thirty  miles  into  a  forest  in  which  he 
had  never  been  before,  he  would  find  out  where  he  was  in  five 
minutes  after  the  removal  of  the  bandage.  He  never  camps  a 
day  in  a  neighborhood  without  making  himself  sufficiently  ac 
quainted  with  all  the  roads,  by-roads  and  hog-paths,  to  act  as 
guide.  His  courage  is  of  that  calm,  deliberate,  imperturbable 
character,  which  JSTapoleon  described  as  the  "  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning"  courage,  and  which  consists  in  never  being 
thrown  off  the  proper  balance  by  any  surprise,  no  matter  how 
sudden,  or  any  danger,  no  matter  how  little  foreseen.  Yet,  no 
man  is  more  impetuous  in  the  charge,  or  more  rapid  in  the 
pursuit.  General  Hampton  possesses  another  qualification 
very  important  in  a  cavalry  officer,  and  yet  not  always  pos 
sessed  even  by  good  cavalry  officers.  He  is  passionately  fond  of 
horses,  and  an  uncommonly  fine  judge  of  them  ;  takes  a  pleas 
ure  in  studying  their  nature  and  wants,  and  thus  affords 
the  best  guarantee  that  he  will  make  his  men  attend  to  them. 
When  we  add,  that  he  is  a  splendid  rider,  a  practical  swords 
man,  and  an  excellent  shot ;  but  above  all,  that  he  is  what 
Carlyle  calls  i  an  earnest  man,'  with  no  frivolity  or  childishness 
about  him,  but  devoted,  with  all  the  deep  enthusiasm  of  his 
nature,  to  the  cause  in  which  he  is  engaged,  we  have  said 
enough,  we  think,  to  show  that  the  cavalry  of  General  Lee's 
army  is  in  very  good  hands.' 


SOUTHERN  HISTORY  OF  THE  WAR. 

THE  FIRST  YEAR  OF  THE  WAR: 

BY  E.  A.  POLLARD,  EDITOR  RICHMOND  EXAMINER. 
1  Vol.  8vo;  400 pages;  Cloth,  82.50. 

With  authentic  Portraits,  on  steel,  of  DAVIS,  LEE,  BEAUREGARJD, 
and  JACKSON,  and  Plans  of  Battles. 

This  is  an  exact  reprint  of  the  only  History  of  the  War  published  in  the 
South.  The  value  and  importance  of  this  connected  statement  of  all  civil, 
military,  and  naval  operations,  for  the  year  ending  with  July  1,  1803,  as  pic 
tured  to  Southern  readers,  cannot  be  underrated.  It  is  well  written,  full  of 
details,  with  many  narratives  and  incidents  of  personal  adventure  of  the  great 
est  interest.  It  contains  interesting  sketcnes  of  Southern  Officers,  the  Consti 
tution  of  the  Confederate  States,  and  a  Chronological  List  of  Battles  and  Ecents. 


SECOND  YEAR  OF  THE  WAR: 

BY  E.  A.  POLLARD,  AUTHOR  OF  "THE  FIRST  YEAR  OF  THE  WAR." 
1  Vol.  Svo;  400 pages;   Cloth,  $2.50. 

With  Portraits  on  steel,  recently  taken,  of  Vice-President  STEPHENS, 

Generals  LONGSTREET,  HILL,  STUART,  and  JOHNSTON, 

and  Plans  of  Battles. 


This  volume  brings  the  History  of  the  War,  from  a  Southern  view,  down 
to  the  close  of  the  invasion  (July,  1863)  of  Pennsylvania. 

Written  with  clearness,  independence,  and  ability,  and  as  the  only  connect 
ed  account  of  all  the  civil,  military,  and  naval  operations  in  the  South,  it  is  of 
great  importance  and  interest.  It  gives  a  thrilling  narrative  of  Campaigns 
which  were  filled  with  interesting  incidents  and  brilliant  action.  It  contains  a 
Chronological  List  of  Battles  and  Events. 


Blow    Ready, 

THIRD  YEAR  OF  THE  WAR: 

BY  E.  A.  POLLARD, 

AUTHOR  OF  FIRST  AND  SECOND  YEARS  OF  THE  WAR. 

1  Vol.  Svo;  400  pages;  Cloth,  $2.50. 

With  Portraits,  on  steel,  of  Generals  COOPER,  BRAGG,  KIRBY 
SMITH,  EWELL,  and  the  Author. 

This  volume  closes  with  the  attack  on  Petersburg  by  General  Grant.  It  cov 
ers  a  period  of  great  interest ;  and  giving,  as  it  does,  an  inside  view  of  the  civil, 
military,  and  naval  operations  in  the  South,  it  cannot  fail  to  interest  every  in 
telligent  observer.  It  contains  a  complete  and  careful  account  of  the  Military 
Resources,  Military  System,  and  Internal  Polity  of  the  Confederacy,  with  many 
incidents,  narratives  of  campaigns,  and  a  chronology  for  the  year. 


In  Press,  and  will  soon  be  issued. 

SOUTHERN    GENERALS, 

¥HO  THEY  ARE,  AND  WHAT  THEY  HAVE  DONE 

BY  A  VIRGINIAN. 
1  Vol.  8vo;  425  pages;  with  20  Portraits  on  steel, 


This  volume  will  contain  careful  and  candid  biographies  of  the  most  prominent 
Southern  generals,  with  graphic  accounts  of  their  campaigns.  The  portraits  contained 
in  this  volume  are  the  only  correct  likenesses  published,  and  beautiful  engravings. 
The  work  will  contain  a  mass  of  interesting,  and  hitherto  inaccessible  information,  in 
regard  to  the  "Southern  Generals,"  which  will  be  of  the  highest  interest  to  all. 


COMPANION  TO  POLLARD'S  HISTORIES. 


OFFICIAL  REPORTS  OF  BATTLES: 

PUBLISHED  BY  ORDER  OF  CONGRESS,  RICHMOND,  VA, 
1  Vol.Kvo;  600  pages;  $3.00. 

An  exact  reprint  of  the  official  Confederate  Reports  of  Battles,  Raids,  and  Sieges, 
which  are  of  the  greatest  interest  and  importance.  They  will  command  the  attention 
all  readers  who  are  desirous  of  knowing  the  Southern  History  of  the  War. 


The  five  volumes,  bound  handsomely  in  half  morocco,  "uniform,  will  be  supplied 
at  &QM  per  set. 

Sent  by  Mail  or  Express  on  receipt  of  price. 


LIFE,  SERVICES,  AND  CAMPAIGNS 

STONEWALL    JACKSON: 

From  Official  Papers,  Contemporary  Narratives,  and  Personal  Acquaintance. 

BY  A  VIRGINIAN. 
One  Volume,  12mo;   325  pages;  $1.5O. 

Authentic  Portraits  of  JACKSON,  and  his  successor  Ewell,  on  steel. 


STONEWALL  JACKSON  has  made  too  profound  an  impression  for  the  public  not  to 
devour  with  avidity  an  authentic  life.  Poor  compilations  may  be  got  up  by  authors 
without  access  to  authentic  documents,  but  this  is  a  life  written  by  a  Confederate 
Officer  (HoN.  JOHN  M.  DANIELS)  who  knew  him  well,  served  under  him  in  his  bril 
liant  career,  was  assisted  in  the  work  by  Mrs.  JACKSON,  and  had  access  to  all  his 
papers.  It  is  written  with  great  ability,  and  forms  a  volume  of  intense  and  absorb 
ing  interest,  unequalled  by  any  tether  yet  offered  to  the  public. 

It  contains  the  only  authentic  portrait  of  JACKSON,  taken  from  life,  shortly  before 
the  battle  of  Chuncellorsville,  for  Mrs.  JACKSON. 

fi®-  Thorough  Agents  'wanted  everywhere.  If  you  cannot  act,  hand 
this  to  some  one  who  can. 

Address  CHAS,  B.  RICHARDSON,  Publisher, 

441  Broadway,  New  York. 


3VE  SB'S*       "T57V  <Q  3FL  IK!  £*  . 
NOW     READY: 

A.  new  uniform  Edition,  in  sets  of  Seventeen 
Vols.,  in  Box. 

THE    WORKS    OF 

WM.    GILMORE    SIMMS, 

OF     SOUTH     CAROLINA. 

COMIPRISHSTG- : 


1.  THE  PARTISAN:  A  Romance   of 

the  Revolution. 

2.  MELLICHAMPE:   A  Legend  of  the 

Santee. 

3.  KATHARINE  WALTON:  or,  The 

Fair  Rebel  of  Dorchester. 

4.  THE  SCOUT ;  or,  The  Black  Riders 

of  the  Cono;aree. 

5.  "WOODCRAFT;     or,     The     Hawks 

about  the  Dovecote. 

6.  THE  FOR  AYE  RS;  or,  The  Raid  of 

the  Dog-days. 

7.  EUTA W.    A  Sequel  to  The  Forayers. 

8.  GUY  RIVERS;   A  Tale  of  Georgia. 

9.  RICHARD    HURDIS:    A   Tale    of 

Alabama 


10.  BORDER    BEAGLES:    A    Tale   of 

Mississippi. 

11.  CHARLi^MONT:  A   Tale    of  Ken 

tucky. 

12.  BEAUCHAMPE;  or,  The  Kentucky 

Tragedy. 

13.  CONFESSION;      or,      The      Blind 

Heart. 

14.  THE  YEMASSEE;  A  Romance  of 

South  Carolina. 

15.  VASCONSELOS:  A  Romance  of  the 

New  World. 

16.  SOUTHWARD    HO!    A     Spell    of 

Sunshine. 

17.  THE  WIGWAM  AND  CABIN. 


Each  volume  with  Illustrations  by  Darley. 

Sets,  Seventeen  volumes,  cloth  extra,  IN  BOX $30  00 

"           "                 "         half  calf  or  half  Turkey,  in  box    ...  50  00 

Cloth  volumes  separately 1  75 

ALSO,    UNIFORM    WITH    ABOVK, 

SIMMS'S    HISTORY    OF    SOUTH    CAROLINA. 

One  volume,  12mo.  cloth          .        .        .        .        .         .        ,        ,        .'$175 

Half  calf  or  half  Turkey 3  00 


Any  of  the  above  works  will  be  sent  by  mail  or  Express  free  upon  receipt  of  the 
annexed  prices. 

C.  B   RICHARDSON, 

441  Broadway,  New  York. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
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